


Unbroken

by DeadOnArrivalGirl



Series: Relentless [3]
Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Inspired by Dead by Daylight (Video Game), M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:26:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 124,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22114825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadOnArrivalGirl/pseuds/DeadOnArrivalGirl
Summary: Daring to do what has not been done before within The Realms of The Entity; The Survivors set out on a quest to put an end to the Trials and rescue the Killers who stood at their defense. The brewing storm however, reminds them that freedom is not promised should they succeed...in fact they may very well be fighting...for the sweet release of death.
Relationships: Adiris | The Plague/Reader, Anna | The Huntress & Reader, Danny "Jed Olsen" Johnson | The Ghost Face/Reader, David King (Dead by Daylight)/Reader, Dwight Fairfield & Reader, Dwight Fairfield/Frank Morrison, Dwight Fairfield/Reader, Evan MacMillan | The Trapper/Reader, F.J.S.J. | The Legion/Reader, Frank Morrison/Reader, Frank Morrison/You, Herman Carter | The Doctor/Reader, Jake Park & Reader, Jake Park/Reader, Joey (Dead by Daylight)/Reader, Joey/Julie/Frank Morrison/Susie/Reader, Julie (Dead by Daylight)/Reader, Kate Denson/Reader, Kenneth "Jeffrey Hawk" Chase | The Clown/Reader, Killers (Dead by Daylight) & Reader, Killers (Dead by Daylight)/Reader, Laurie Strode & Reader, Laurie Strode/Reader, Leatherface | Bubba "Junior" Sawyer/Reader, Michael Myers/Laurie Strode/Reader, Michael Myers/Reader, Nea Karlsson/Reader, Philip Ojomo | The Wraith/Reader, Quentin Smith/You, Sally Smithson | The Nurse/Reader, Susie (Dead by Daylight)/Reader
Series: Relentless [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1410661
Comments: 70
Kudos: 75





	1. All On The Table

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this ended up being a few hours later than expected, but when people call in to work; they call me to keep the place running. Anyways, enough about my job, lets get into the third installment of the Relentless series; Unbroken. Enjoy my peeps.  
> Also, be sure to hit up my discord because posting to the pixels is starting to get lonely and even if you don't want to join, sharing it is always a plus. Share my patreon too as I would love to do this full time :3  
> Thank you all so much for enjoy this story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

**DWIGHT**

_It felt like years had passed since the last time we’d had a little break; Claudette had been crying for what felt like days…there was no one but the four of us. Claudette, Jake, Meg and myself. Trials were the only thing waiting for us at night, despite us fighting against the Fog…but there was no point to it. It had begun to infect us like a disease that slowly ate away at our will to go on._

_Jake never spoke to them and hardly spoke to me._

_Meg spent most of her time trying to soothe Claudette while Claudette simply sobbed uncontrollably._

_The crying suddenly stopped one day while we waited by the camp fire and we thought maybe, she’d finally fallen asleep after all this time._

_“Claudette?” Meg asked gently and carefully moved Claudette to look at her face and I watched all the color drain from Meg’s cheeks. I looked down and Claudette’s eyes were still open but had glazed over, stopping the tears completely. There wasn’t so much as a hiccup to answer when Claudette started muttering._

_“We’re going to be exterminated…we’re going to end up in The Void just like all the others and it’s only a matter of time…it’s hopeless.” She said blandly._

_“Claudette…what are you saying? We can’t give up yet! That’s what got the others dragged away, they gave up…you can’t give up yet!” she starts when Claudette just doesn’t respond and lays there and I can see something horrific bloom in Meg’s eyes…fear. “Claudette! Come on! Stop doing this! You have to keep fighting!! I can’t do this without you!! You can’t just leave me!!”_

_Out of nowhere, Jake stormed over and grabbed Claudette’s shirt front, forcing her to her feet and shaking her violently while Meg was so stunned, she didn’t move._

_“We’re still here because we haven’t stopped fighting and you’re just going to throw in the towel!? NOW!?? After everything we’ve been put through this is where you’re giving up!!!” he yells into her face and she pushes him off while Meg stumbles as she tries to stand._

_“Why would I want to keep fighting when all that we have here is temporary! The ones before us were temporary and now we’re the only ones left! Excuse my French but I don’t like our fucking odds!”_

_“How many times have we already bested the odds before?! It’s not like there’s no chance-” Meg starts but Claudette cuts her off._

_“Don’t stand there and lie to my face!! There is NO chance! What waits for us after we win? Hm?! What more waits for us than a day in this heat lamp prison before we’re left to the monsters at night!!?”_

_“You’d rather let yourself be pulled into The Void and leave us behind? That’s what you want?!” Jake shouts and Claudette has to fix her glasses she’s getting so upset._

_“If it means I don’t have to consciously deal with this hell anymore than yeah! Not everyone is as endlessly competitive as you are Meg so I’m not interested in your rat race! And Jake, you lived this kind of life minus the monsters before, I’m nothing like either of you so why the hell should I put myself through something I know I can’t handle anymore when I’d be much happier just gone!”_

_“STOP IT ALREADY!” I shouted and they froze as I looked over them._

_There was near silence as we listened to the fire crackling; never burning out or waning in its intensity or heat. The echo of a crow’s caws in the distance sent a tiny shiver up our backs as we all likely recalled that in some Trials, that caw would call the Killers to us._

_I took a deep breath and opened my arms, unsure of what else to say. “Um…can someone come here? Please? I’m going to prove something,”_

_The girl’s kind of just stood there, unsure of what to do but Jake unabashedly came over to me and hugged me tight, allowing his head to rub against my ear. His chest was pressed against mine and allowed me to feel how fast his heart was racing…he’s scared too and I know he could feel how fast mine was going too._

_Once he pulled away from me and I opened my arms again, I waited until Meg let out a sigh and came over to me too. She at first hugged uncomfortably but after I squeezed her a little tighter, she relaxed and squeezed me right back; I could feel that while her heart wasn’t racing as fast…it was still pounding rather hard._

_“Dwight, what is this?” she asked against my shoulder before stepping back and I turned my eyes to Claudette; ignoring Meg’s question._

_“Claudette…hug someone. Just pick, it doesn’t matter who it is.” I say and she hesitates but Meg gleefully opens her arms and welcomes her with a smile. Claudette gains this sort of…light in her eyes before walking over and holding Meg close for a long moment._

_“Do you all know what I know? Our hearts are all still beating, we’re still alive and we’re all…scared shitless.”_

_Jake lets out a small chuckle and Meg squeezes Claudette again before letting go but still holds her hand._

_“Look, we’re all terrified. I don’t think things have ever been this bad before but we’re still here and we’re still hanging on. Sure…some of the Trials are less than perfect and we all know that but let’s think about it like this. What’s going to happen when the next people come along and we aren’t here to help? Or we’re still here and do what Al and Benny did…we isolate them and refuse to help.”_

_Their eyes all go wide at the thought. “They’re going to be scared and unsure about this hell hole and the only ones who can help aren’t offering lessons. Can we live with ourselves if we do that?”_

_“But what if we become like the others…like Al and Benny?” Claudette says and I bite the inside of my cheek at the memory of the two men._

_“We won’t become like them…we’ve got what they never had; each other. Carrying something heavy is hard but when you have more help to carry it, it lessens your burden. We have to hold onto each other, stick together and help others out when they come…because you know there will be more.”_

_Jake’s eyes take on this steely resolve to them and he grabs my hand. “I’m with you, forests have never scared me and I’m not going to let this one just because it has a mind of its own.”_

_Meg nods and grabs our hands as well, still holding Claudette’s with her other._

_“I’m in; this is one hell of a mouse maze but I’m game to find the end!” she says and we all look over at Claudette who looks like she’s cornered._

_“How about it, Claudette? All three of us together aren’t nearly as smart as you are.” Jake offers._

_The timid girl gains the smallest of smiles as she steps close to Meg and grasps our hands together. It was still just the four of us, but…_

_I CAN’T FEEL THEM ANYMORE!_

The bland look that came over her grey eyes was otherworldly to see; as if she’d accepted whatever was about to happen to her and steeled herself to suffer with them. I don’t know what went through them each time one of them pulled off to keep us safe…but Susie screaming like that was difficult to hear.

Knowing we just watched a piece of her vanish and her feel its absence was hard to say the least; surreal as if it must not be really that bad…but it was. Her wide eyes, her heavy tears and the agony in her voice…there was no denying her pain or bypassing the isolation it must have caused. They said they were always together…to suddenly not must have been absolutely excruciating.

As if the weight on our shoulders wasn’t already too much, the silvery moonlight surrounding us slowly started fading into a smokey tan color, as if there was silt and dust surrounding us and gave me the illusion of heat…but it was still frigid all around us.

Looking up I could see the massive forever full moon rapidly descending into what many would call a harvest moon, the only thing is, that it wasn’t due to some scattering of light…this was Blight and it quickly set hell loose over everything. As the orange tinted light covered the forest, the trees suddenly became infested with Blight. Their bark cracked and split apart, revealing the bright orange Nectar from within as Pustula’s began to blossom from their openings.

I looked around and didn’t see any fleshy piles around this time, everything came straight from the trees that surrounded us, seeming to spread to each tree in the entire Realm!

“Dwight, what’s happening?! I’ve never seen so many Pustula’s before, let alone out here!” Claudette pants out as we keep running, spying the outlines of the others surrounding the fire in the distance.

“I don’t know! We can figure out a way to go back and get them once we get the others to help!” I draw nearer and the others see us running but before I can get a word out, Claudette grabs my arm and pulls me to a stop. When I turn to look at her, she slaps me across my face, knocking my glasses off.

“Claudette!” Nea yells and I hear feet rush all around us as I try to keep myself from tearing up.

Claudette’s never raised her voice to me, let alone a hand. I feel someone grab my hand and I know its Jake as soon as I put my glasses back on.

“I’m sorry but…you must be out of your mind to _actually_ be considering going back in there!? After everything we just saw, you want to chance going anywhere near The Killer Forest again?!” she yells and I’m stunned as I find myself glaring at her.

“ _You’re_ actually considering leaving them to whatever Trapper is going to do to them?! They laid themselves out for us, didn’t you see that?! They ensured that we got out of there to fight another day! When’s the last time a Killer ever did anything for us?” I asked her but she shook her head.

“That’s my point exactly, when has a Killer _EVER_ done anything for any of us when there wasn’t some sort of ulterior motive behind it?! NEVER!! You hear me?! Never!!” She pleads loudly, her complexion starting to pale and her eyes filling with tears behind her silver rimmed glasses.

“You saw how hard they fought for us before we started running! They turned against each other just to protect us; I don’t understand how you aren’t seeing that!!!” I shouted, feeling Jake put his hand on my shoulder to try and root me down but Claudette’s screaming made us all fall silent.

“I did see that! What you seem to be ignoring is that they made that choice to go against each other! Why you think it’s even somewhat a good idea to get involved in something that is not our problem is what I don’t see!” she argued and Meg came over to stand with her.

I pointed an accusatory finger and her and Jake wrapped his arm around my chest to keep me back. “Don’t you dare try to remove yourself from that! You and Jake and Meg helped me because you know as well as I do, survival or not; we’re not human beings if we stood by and did nothing like the others! Everyone that was here that day is gone now and good riddance to them!!” I shouted and Claudette covers her mouth.

“You don’t mean that! They were just scared!!” she tries but I feel Jake step up beside me.

“No, they weren’t! They’d have run if they were scared or screamed; not watched it happen like a car accident! Besides, we were scared too Claudette but we fought through it and tried to help Michelle! Fear is no excuse for letting that happen to someone!” he yelled from beside me.

“What about Carla and Al? You think we were better off without them too? They’re the ones that taught us how to fix the generators!” she tries to defend but I feel my blood boiling.

“Do you hear yourself?! Great, we learned something we would have learned anyways from people who stood idle and _watched_ while someone is raped right in front of them!” I see her open her mouth to try and keep fighting for them but I don’t let her. “I could even forgive them turning a blind eye or covering their ears to not have to hear her scream like that, but they all just stood there and WATCHED!!! They let it happen and did absolutely nothing to either hide from it or stop it!”

“Fear is like fire Dwight! It eats everything, including objectivity! I’m not going to speak ill of the dead because not only does it change nothing, but its disrespectful!” she argues, tears dripping from her cheeks now.

“Fear explains their idleness but it doesn’t excuse their inaction!!” Jake yells back and Meg steps between us, shielding Claudette from us.

“You guys need to stop yelling at her! She’s freaked the fuck out and you two shouting isn’t helping at all!” she argues.

“You’re right, she is freaked out and yet she’s still standing her and trying to defend the memories of people who DESERVE to die with this place!!” I shouted and Claudette steps around Meg who rushes to stop her from coming over to me.

“STOP TALKING LIKE THAT! THEY SAVED US WHEN WE GOT HERE! WE OWE THEM AT LEAST SOME RESPECT!”

“Yeah, I owe them so much for helping us fill the molds of trapped rats!”

“Dwight, you are way out of line!” Meg screamed at me and Jake was the only thing keeping me from going over there and screaming in her face.

“I’m not content with standing back and letting people who made _real_ sacrifices for us suffer because I’m scared!”

“They aren’t people!” Claudette cries out and I snap.

“If that’s how you really feel after everything you have seen and heard, maybe Frank should have _let_ Jefferey take you away!!!” I yelled when there’s a loud explosion of fireworks between us!

The lights and screeches make us all fall silent and when the smoke clears Bill is standing between us holding a burnt-out match.

“If you’re finished,” he says and the only thing we can hear now is Claudette’s stifled sobs into Megs chest as she strokes her back. “I think a wise girl once said this is supposed to be a safe place for all of us, not just some of us.” He says and my heart pinches and I deflate, causing Jake to let me fall to my knees as I see Frank and (f/n)’s faces in my mind; forcing the tears to fog up my glasses.

I hear feet rush towards me and I see Claudette kneel before me, wrapping her arms around my bowed shoulders; she’s still shaking as she’s crying too. “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…I’m…just really scared.”

I reach up and lightly place one of my hands on her back and accept her sobs against the back of my head. “I know…I am too.”

“Someone wanna fill me in on what’s going on here? The quietest people here are having screaming matches and that’s a little freaky, even for the season.” Ace adds.

“It’s a long story…too long to explain everything.” I say, watching as the blurry image in my eye’s spills over the edges of my lenses.

“We’re listening,” Jeff says and I don’t look up.

Where to start? The number of things I needed to explain to them was staggering…starting from the very beginning would take forever and I don’t know if they have the patience to hear me talk for so long.

“(f/n) is gone…she’s been possessed by this thing…The Wicked.” I say and most of the group is stone-faced, not realizing the weight my words held. Jake and Meg went pale when I mentioned her name, though.

“She’s back!? How?! I thought she got dragged into The Void after what she did!” Meg shouted and all the others just stared.

“Wait, who’s Wicked?” Laurie asks as Jake kneels beside me.

“She was a monster born from the body of a Survivor after another Killer raped her. There had been a few of us at that time but they all just stood there while it happened. Jake, Dwight, Claudette and I all tried to save her…but our efforts were for naught.” Meg explained as I lowered my eyes to the dirt.

“The Wicked ended up going on a rampage in our forest, back in a time when we shared the forest with the Killers. It was an absolute disaster, everyone but us four had been hunted down and tortured by her in some way.” Jake explained when Claudette stood up beside me, allowing me to sit on the ground in my little ball of silence.

“Whatever she’d done to them was enough to break their spirits and they were thrown into The Void too.” Meg finished when I heard David’s voice.

“So, what is she? A spirit or something?”

“More like a parasite; she ripped herself free of her mothers’ body in almost a perfect copy of Michelle but her hair was so long that it seemed to slither around on the ground around her. She lives only to make others suffer and she has no concept of when too much pain is…well…too much!” Claudette adds.

“We don’t know how she exactly came to be or what she’s capable of but there was a huge hunt for her that the other Killers mounted; once she was subdued…she was banished to The Void.”

“Wait, if she doesn’t feel pain…why stop her? She sounds like the perfect Killer.” Jane asked and Ace nodded beside her.

“She would have been if she knew how to obey the rules like the others. I think all the things she felt were putting a bad taste in The Entity’s mouth.” Meg offers and I hear Quentin among the group.

“If it even has a mouth,” he mutters only for Laurie to shush him.

I take a deep breath and stand up, dusting the dirt off my legs. “Well, she’s back and as if her possessing one of us wasn’t bad enough…as you guys can see, The Blight is here. There are two new Survivors, lost with Kate somewhere in The Killer Forest on the new Map. The only good thing about (f/n) being possessed by a Killer means that she can’t be Sacrificed, which must mean that they’re being kept somewhere until a fourth person can be captured.”

“They aren’t Sacrificing until they get four of us?” Adam asks and I nod. “That’s not normal,”

“That’s why we need to go into their forest and save them, get them out of there so that tonight’s Trial ends. That’s not all though,” I say and I can see the uncertainty on their faces. “We wouldn’t just be saving our own, we have no clue where they’re being held so we have to find them. While we search…we need to save any of The Killers that we come across. A few have likely been taken to be punished for helping protect us and we have to help them too.” My words prompt David to step out of the group and stand across from me, looking down on me as he’s always done.

“Ok… _now_ I’m worried, did you hit your head or something? Have a fever?” He asks, reaching out to check my forehead with a genuine look of concern on his face but I lower his arm.

“I’m not sick! The Killers we have to save are Wraith, Huntress-” He cuts me off.

“Don’t talk like we’ve accepted your explanation; we’re just trying to make sense of all this rubbish you’re spewing.”

“What the hell were you guys doing in their forest in the first place?” Feng asks, crossing her arms.

“Dwight, you better just tell them.” Nea says and I nod, knowing deep down that she’s right.

“Tell us what?” David says, putting his hands on his hips.

I start telling them everything and I mean everything, starting from when (f/n) first showed up, since that’s when this all began.

When (f/n) came here and helped me, Ace and Meg all survive her first Trial…I’d already thought she was pretty, but I hadn’t thought much until we came back. She insisted I join the others at the Campfire and then she hugged me before going off with Meg and Claudette…it caused a spark; I knew I’d started to fall for her but if my first and only crush from middle school ever taught me anything, it was not to get carried away by it.

David got angry at me over something he thought I had done, but when she got in between us, tried to protect me even though she knew she was overpowered; it was like a watching a tiger. She was fast and packed more power than I thought she had to throw. After it was over and she successfully sent David to sleep off his last drink, I could see this softness in her eyes when she’d look at me. I wanted so badly to keep her eyes on me like that, that fondness I saw…so I clung to her. I even tried to stand up to Frank after The Legion appeared to collect us for the next Trial.

During that Trial…I saw her and The Clown…together. The image festered in my brain as I ran, but I had no clue what had actually gone on. That Trial, Jane was Mori’d and afterwards; (f/n) had brought everyone together to have a party and relax…she had said she didn’t want to be alone after what she’d been through.

I was upset, as if I’d allowed myself to fall for her just to watch her give her body up to the most hated Killer we’d ever faced. Then she came to my door and insisted I hear her out. She explained what happened…being drugged and forcing herself to sit through his torment to protect the rest of us. I hadn’t even considered that she’d put herself between him and us once again and I felt bad after she followed that up with her confessing her own crush on me!

I knew then that I’d really fallen hard for her, I’d never felt this fluttering in my chest when I looked at anyone else in my life before this place and since coming here. During her party…we made love; bestowing each other with our first times and it was spoiled when Frank showed up and snatched her away.

They talked things over and ended up having sex too, promising that I hadn’t been forgotten. After their moment was ruined by The Shape, The Pig, The Ghost Face and The Clown…(f/n) had been drugged again. Frank had put her away in his room to sleep it off but then she escaped, chasing these whispers she’s always heard since coming here. She followed them well outside their Realm and Frank chased after her when they were both dropped into The Void. The Entity almost took them both but somehow, (f/n) was able to force it away and they came back…only to be caught and (f/n) was Mori’d before our eyes.

Frank had insisted upon talking to me in private, in The Basement which I had taken a chance and gone to see him. We ended up talking about (f/n) a little and bonding over our dually crappy upbringings; it put us on level ground…then he kissed me. He was not shy in the slightest about his own sexuality so we both came to the realization that I was bisexual. (f/n) ended up finding us mid make out and actually welcomed the idea of us getting along so well, much to my shock.

After that revelation, we tried to escape the Trial together but Frank was dominated by one of his Perks ‘No One Escapes Death’ and he ended up performing what we know now as an Iridescent Mori on her, a side effect of (f/n)’s second Perk ‘Relentless’.

She was gone for a long time…over forty Trials had passed since we’d seen her and all that time…I was a wreck. I’d only had her for one night and knowing that I wouldn’t get to hold her again was worse than any nightmare I could be dropped in. Frank had come to see me between Trials and he did his best to soothe my upset but there was only so much we could do for our shared pain, especially since him being gone so much was starting to catch attention. We agreed to respect her memory by not fighting with each other, not at all expecting her to come back to us! That joy however, was short lived.

When The Ghost Face used me as bait for The Cannibal that was where the lying started, Frank pretending to be obsessed with us to the point of him kidnapping me and (f/n).

On that same day, we learned about (f/n)’s past. A crazy man who thought she was an angel began to stalk her and became obsessed with her. He went nuts and killed her parents to kidnap her, he kept her for a year to the day when she escaped and beat him to death with a branch. The Entity came for her but she was just a little girl at the time.

Her being brought into her best friend Joseph’s family’s home and their optimistic ways, kept her from becoming that rage filled monster that The Entity wanted her to be. That doorway it gained all those years ago, remained open and it continued to torment her with nightmares to try and undo all the years of positive upbringing and therapy that she’d undergone to maintain her sanity. It was futile however; she was too strong now…so it sent all the Killers in to break her down.

Nea and Jake ended up stumbling in on our secret with The Legion and we shared our knowledge about (f/n)’s past with the others; we hit one more, little bump in the road…Danny.

Danny, also known as The Ghost Face had a video of (f/n) and I talking about our relationship with Frank and to ensure it was disposed of; he was to deposit (f/n) into the Trial and do as Danny ordered. Danny’s orders just so happened to be breaking our hearts, I heard him pour his heart out to me after everything and I forgave him…but the damage had been done to (f/n).

Going into the Trial with a broken heart left her vulnerable to Wicked possessing her and trapping her tired soul inside her own body.

Of how Frank and I were together when The Blight began and he tried to attack me afterwards; it’s the only reason Claudette ended up finding out about us. Why I asked her for her help and that I was the reason we’d gone into the forest to begin with.

I can’t bring myself to interrupt the verbal lashings being doled out on me for being reckless and putting Claudette in danger by allowing her to follow me. How foolish I was to put myself in danger by allowing my dick to do the thinking for me. How I must have been out of my mind to allow (f/n) to get involved with a Killer who’s built on lying and toying with our emotions.

As I try to find the words to explain myself, I’m left thinking of Michelle again. I would have truly snapped long ago if she hadn’t helped me root myself down, she was a good friend and mentor. She helped me sort out all the thoughts I couldn’t process back home, even with a therapist. (f/n) and Frank were the new solace I found in this terrible place and while I’ll miss Michelle’s company…(f/n) and Frank mean more to me than anyone else and I’m not going to let my anxiety and fear control me to the point I lose them both forever!

I refused to consider the thought that there was anything wrong with what we have and clenched my fists before raising my eyes to the others.

“LISTEN TO ME!!!” I yell and their shouts fall silent; a look of angry awe coming over them. I don’t think anyone has ever heard me that loud outside the Trials before. “(f/n) and Frank…they…they mean more to me than I can ever express, I’ll never be able to put words to it but I’ll be damned if I can’t let his actions speak for me. Frank caused a rebellion among The Killers for me and Claudette tonight! I’m not content living like that anymore; Surviving is not **living**!”

“Dwight, listen to yourself! You’re talking about helping the ones who’ve been doing nothing but causing us pain and suffering all this time! Why help them now?” David asks me and I hold his stare.

“Because…The Entity is starving.” That sets off a wave of realization over their eyes. “We had already been avoiding Sacrifices pretty well before (f/n) arrived…ever since she got here, successful Sacrifices have been minimal and I guess it can’t survive like that. It’s revealed itself in the center of The Killer Camp; this massive tree with hooks hanging from the branches for direct Sacrifices.”

“Like feeding a dolphin by the hand.” Feng says and I nod.

“One successful sacrifice won’t be enough; it seems like they need a four man kill to ensure that The Entity is revived enough to hold this place together. If it can’t keep this place together…it’ll cease to exist.”

Meg stands up, holding Claudette’s hand. “Let that fucker starve to death!”

“Meg,” Claudette stops her, eyes wide. “We don’t know what will happen if it dies! If it dies off, we could all fall into The Void or something. Doesn’t that scare you?”

“Of course it does, but I’m with Dwight. I don’t want to be here in this place forever; I wanna live in a house and have a life. You know, get married and all that romantic crap you’re always talking about. Don’t you?” she asks and Claudette’s eyes grow wide.

“Meg…”

“I’d rather die trying to get free than keep going in this horrible place while that thing gets fat off of all of us!” she says and Claudette continues clutching her hand, Meg squeezing right back.

“Exactly and if we don’t take action now and they manage to revive The Entity, then we’ll be trapped here forever and we may not get another chance like this! If we were to fail and try this again in the future, at the first sign of trouble it might do something unthinkable. I’m done watching us cling to another night like frightened field mice! No more running away, no more hiding and no more Sacrificing! I’d rather die fighting for my freedom than let it be stolen from me another minute! Tonight’s Trial will be the last!” I yell and I’m met with the others raising their fists and voices in agreement and I feel my chest swell with pride. They’ve been fighting alongside me for so long just to see another artificial day here and despite my lies and deceit…they were ready to stand with me again…is this what it felt like…actually being a leader? Rallying the troops and preparing to go into battle together? I’d had the role for a long time, but it never felt like anything outside the Trials.

Coming back was always the end of that and I faded into the background, enjoying the sounds of life all around me. Looking at their faces now, seeing the budding determination in their eyes did make me feel worlds of joy.

When my eyes lowered back to David standing in front of me, I just looked up at him; waiting for him to tear into me like usual.

“You put yourself through all of that…shit…to protect a Killer and a stranger?” he asks and I nod.

“You’ve never had someone you’d do anything for?” I ask and this look comes into his eyes, something I wasn’t expecting…it looked like a painful memory had surfaced and he nodded.

“So, what’s the plan Dwight?” Jeff asks and I nod.

“Gather all the items and offerings you have; we have a lot of planning to do. Let’s all meet at Claudette’s place and we’ll regroup.” I said.

David passed me while delivering a hearty pat to my shoulder and I watched as everyone started into the woods and I took a deep breath before turning and seeing David sort of…waiting and watching me. I pointed at myself and he nodded before motioning for me to follow him.

I rushed to catch up before he got too far and by the time I did catch up, he was pulling his shirt off and folding it up, setting on a nearby stump. I always envied how muscular and agile David was, he was a tough guy all the way around but his physique was undeniable and I felt awkward around him.

I was a skinny thing who only had a little muscle tone because of the way we lived, there was nothing more to me than that.

“What’s…going on?” I asked and he pointed at the two flowerbeds on either side of the door leading towards his home.

The flower beds were barren and I could see the remnants of yellow flowers that had been tarnished.

“The person who I’d do anything for was the only person who could ever get through to me before I met (f/n). Her name was Elina, she was born in America but she moved to England to attend college and we met in a bar while I was getting rowdy about the fights. She managed to keep me from being banned by claiming to be my fiancée and guided me home.” He says evenly and I start to see what the flowers were.

“I never knew you had someone outside your family.”

“Neither did they, I made sure of that. I wanted so badly to be greedy with her and keep her all to myself, she was also the only person who could tell me what to do and I’ll be honest, I’d probably kill to make her happy.” His voice lowering and becoming sad prompted me.

“Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming on?”

“But I was addicted to drinking and fighting. She tried everything she could to keep me from going to the bars but after she fell asleep…she’d wake up and I was gone. One night she found where I’d gone and I was getting into it with some jackass who insulted me. I heard Elina yell at me to stop and I turned away from the bastard…he swung his bottle at me and Elina pushed me out of the way. She took the bottle straight to the dome and hit the ground hard. I punched that fucker so hard his tooth stuck out of his upper lip then I rushed Elina to a doctor.”

“Was she alright?”

“Yeah, fortunately she’s a tough girl. Kinda has to be to somehow see someone to love in a bastard like me. She was in her hospital bed when I went for a walk to do some soul searching; consider my next move and how to give up the bottle and the fights…that was when I heard what sounded like a whisper. It was like someone was challenging me…I could hear Elina calling out for me not to go…I walked into the fog...and I found myself in a Trial with Huntress.” His voice was clear and solemn; sober as a judge.

I remember meeting David and The Huntress for the first time. I’d been sneaking up to a generator when I heard the singing and hid because I’d never heard it before. I was absolutely horrified when I saw her gliding through the undergrowth with her axe, that gentle tune coming from her! I’d waited until she moved on before I tried to take off…when David yelled loudly for ‘whoever that is to stop singing and just answer him, damn it!’. I had hurried to silence him but she had already flung a hatchet at us and it stuck in the tree beside us. I remember meeting him…but…

“You remember how you came here? How?”

“I started regaining pieces of my memories after she came back, (f/n) and I…you already know.” He says awkwardly and I nod when he turns to me. “Listen, about that-”

“It’s Ok…we don’t have to talk about it.” I say, standing firm by what I told (f/n). She said she loves me and I believe her.

“Still, I don’t want to put a strain on you. She activated ‘Take One’ by mistake, that’s all.” He says and I can’t fight the sigh of relief that escapes me; it makes him smile wide at me. “Feel better?” He playfully punches my shoulder and I laugh.

“Honestly, yeah!” we share a moment of silence when my eyes return to the flowers. “So…what were those?”

“Daffodils; Elina planted them at my house to try and make it more ‘home like’ and I can’t tell you how glad I was seeing these here. It meant I had some piece of her with me…making this hell bearable.” He says and that’s when it clicked.

“The flowers…someone destroyed them.”

“Yeah, I thought it was you since I mess you about all the time. Seeing you and (f/n) …there was no way you’d do something like that. This was just heartless…I don’t know who did it but someone really wanted to hurt me. Bastard.” He says and I nod when he suddenly turns and makes to swing at me!

I dodge and nearly fall over myself to keep myself standing. “What was that?!”

“You don’t know jack shit about fighting and I don’t collect any items that aren’t liquor so, I’m going to give you a little crash course like you gave me. Consider me repaying you,”

“Um…” I stuttered as I realized, this was his way of making peace with me…and trying to help me be prepared.

I pulled my tie out of its place and tossed it aside, affixing my glasses on my nose before raising my fists similar to his. He takes another swing and I trip backwards to avoid it. I knew things were about to get much more difficult than I was used to but…now the whole of our group is on the same page…if we failed, we can at least say we gave it our absolute best. Something that cannot be said for what happened to Michelle.

**JAKE**

“I’m not giving you a Sport Flashlight in exchange for your shitty lens!” Nea yelled as Ace twirled a shimmering glass lens around on his fingertip.

“It’s not shitty! This is a Sapphire Lens, show some respect!” Ace argues but Nea just flips him off, curling her lip in disgust.

“Piss off! How the hell is the lens going to help me if I don’t have a flashlight to use it on!?” she argues and I just laugh as Ace struggles to scam her out of her light.

Nea was really rough and tumble but that’s what I loved about her, she never settled and always did things her own way. She wasn’t new to being plucked from the world she knew and having to adapt to survive it, though this place was a far leap from skateparks and dodging the fuzz.

She naturally had hazelnut hair that grew straight and flat but she had a style and liked to stick to it. Currently, her hair was long and bleached blond, no make up and her intense ice blue eyes burning holes in Ace’s forehead when she glanced at me and the scowl on her face disappeared.

She relented to Ace and tossed the flashlight at him and came over to me. Nea was strong and confident with every move she made, catlike was the best possible way to describe her since she was so nimble and sly.

“Hey, finished already?” she asked, stuffing her thumbs into the pockets of her galaxy shorts.

“Yeah, I’ve never needed much to get by. You know me.” I say and she steps into my chest, wrapping her arms around my back and sighing as I closed my arms around her thin frame. “What’s going on?”

“Listen, Claudette is going around and making sure we all understand what we’re risking. If we force The Entity to starve to death…we might all finally die…I’ll never get to see you again.” I was about to complain when she squeezed me tighter. “Just…let me have this for a second.”

I felt the uncertainty begin welling up in my belly as I squeezed her tighter. She was right, success could mean freedom or the sweet release of death. I knew it was wrong for me to be so ready to die but…Nea…

“What the hell happened to you two?!” She yells, not letting go of me and I glance over my shoulder to see what she’s talking about.

David and Dwight were both approaching us but they looked like they’d gone a few rounds first. Dwight’s cheek was swollen and red and his eyes had dark circles blooming purple; insinuating his nose had previously been broken. David on the other hand, in all his shirtless glory was covered in small bruises and had a black eye.

“Nothing, just a little…what’d you call it?” Dwight stutters and David puts an arm around his shoulders, causing this little antenna of mine to go up.

“Sparring practice, gotta toughen him up before we get started.” He says and against my lower belly demanding I stay with Nea, I go over and push them apart without a word. This leads to a confused look from Dwight, an annoyed glare from David and a giggle from Nea behind me.

Great, I don’t know what’s worse; when they fight or their bromance?

Dwight suddenly seemed to remember something and quickly produced a rather large piece of parchment paper and while we recognized it as a map…we couldn’t tell what kind it was.

“What’s that?” I asked, approaching and raising my arm to allow Nea to step into place beside me.

“Something that Michelle left behind, I collected it from her house before it disappeared…right after she died. Michelle made this herself…it’s a map of the Entire Entity’s Realm and it covers all Killer Realms too.”

“Wow! This is crazy!” Nea stepped away from me and snatched it from him. “This is so detailed…this Michelle we keep hearing about must have been a serious badass.”

“I’m sure it would make her happy to hear you say that.” Dwight says and I can’t help but feel my heart pinch for him.

He and Michelle were pretty close, she took to Dwight pretty well too, almost like an apprentice. She simply looked after us all and taught us everything she’d learned about being here. Michelle’s 2nd grade teacher face was still fresh in my mind but that was it. It was something I hated about this place…spend enough time here and people’s images start to fade.

Nea spread the map out and used some glass lenses to keep it flat. Dwight pointed to the farthest left of the forest. The map was laid out like the sun rising over the horizon, our little meadow and forest was the sun and the ‘rays’ were different Realms in The Killer Forest.

“We should start at this spot here; The Red Forest is Huntress’ domain and she stood with us. We can start with getting her to side with us and hopefully make the rest of this rescue run easier.”

“I thought she couldn’t speak English?” Nea asked and Dwight kind of tilted his head.

“She can’t, I told you; it’s a long story. I’ll explain on the way. Last thing, obviously all of us going is going to be risky…” He’s stalled by Feng who raises her hand and steps up.

“I have an idea actually, how about we do this in teams. Team One goes in to fetch The Huntress while the rest of us remain at the border and prepare the next team. Once Huntress is with you, come back and we can trade out people as needed plus we’ll be able to help Huntress if she needs to be patched up or something like that and worst-case scenario we can jump back over here if someone tries to stop us. It’ll be like trading team members for a raid, keep everyone fresh and in tip top shape.” She says and Meg hops to her feet.

“That’s…actually a great idea!”

I nod and Dwight stands up. “Ok, the only way to ensure that they know we’re there to help them is if Claudette or I are present…so who’s going with me on Team One?”

Meg, Claudette and I all raise our hands and I nod when Feng starts pointing at people.

“Ok, so Team One can be Team OG Survivors; consisting of Claudette, Meg, Jake and Dwight.” She points then at David. “You can front Team Two; consisting of you, Dwight, Nea and Jake. I’ll call you Team Lovebirds.” She says and frantically hunts for a pen and paper.

David looked done with her naming the teams and I just shook my head.

“Ok, Teams of four and we’ll go in raids, like Feng said. Once we get Huntress out…we’ll come back here and rest a minute before going back out. We need to be at 100% constantly for us to succeed. Coming back without someone is NOT an option, if they even get one of us then they’re going to revive The Entity and we can’t let that happen. I hope you guys are ready because this is going to be the longest night of our lives.” He takes one more long breath before a loud crash of thunder overhead warns us of the Realm further falling apart. “Let’s also never forget…no matter what happens…we gave it our all.”

His firm voice makes me reach out again and take Nea’s hand…knowing full well that if we were successful…Nea was right, I might never see her beautiful face again. I squeezed her hand and she squeezed me back.


	2. Into The Killer Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world as they know it is falling apart, the rules they all followed no longer hold weight and some of their own have been captured. Leading his team into the Killer Forest, Dwight will have to lead them through the most difficult Trial of their lives. Will they survive the night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

**DWIGHT**

_The air was thick with tension as I listened to the sound of a bear trap snapping closed, followed by a scream that scared all the crows in the area away. The startling sound of them all taking flight together was and black feathers raining down over me was loud enough to drown out the sound of the heartbeat I’d grown accustomed to hearing. I never heard Trapper behind me as he raised his weapon into the air and raked it down my back._

_My shoulder blade cracked and the blade bumped against my spine and ribs as it cut through my tender flesh, pain erupting all over my back! I hit the dirt so hard my glasses fell off my face and I was left in a blurry world of agony, sending my anxiety through the roof._

_I listened to him wipe my blood off his blade as he went to collect whoever had been unfortunate enough to stumble into his trap. He left me here…to bleed and suffer…alone in the dark._

_“Hey,” a soft voice reached me and I heard feet nearby._

_Someone found me! I looked up but could only make out the blurry shape of a person as they stood before me. I heard the light scrap against the dirt as they picked up my glasses and I was too weak to move away as they pushed them onto my head again. The round face of a young black woman appeared before me in the clarity she granted me._

_“Run…” I tried but she shook her head and shushed me softly._

_“Hush…eat this.” She offered me a small bundle of leaves from her hand. “It’s not much but it should numb the pain a little.”_

_It smelled like lavender but tasted bitter and the juices from biting into the leaves made my tongue feel sticky. I forced myself to swallow what she gave me as she began mending my wounds on my back._

_“Why…?” I asked._

_Besides Michelle, the only people I’ve met here have never come to help me once I’ve gone down. This girl I didn’t recognize was here helping me like it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do. Poor thing probably had no clue what this place held…just saw a worm struggling for life…like I always have._

_“You needed help, shush…he might hear us.” She soothed and gently rubbed the back of my head as she continued her work on my back._

“Dwight?”

I looked up from my hand to see Meg standing next to me with an expectant look on her face.

“Yes?!”

“We’re getting ready to start, you Ok?” she asks and bumps her shoulder against mine as I nod quickly.

She looks down at my hand and sees that what I’m holding is a Begonia, she even reaches out to poke its still vibrant petal with her fingertip.

“Begonia, ‘beware’ right?” she asks and I nod.

“Yeah, Claudette said its basic meaning was a warning…I figured it fit best for Huntress since I used to think she could throw hatchets over the line. Kind of pointless now that I know they are stopped by The Entity.” I say and she pats my shoulder.

We’re startled to looking to our left as we hear the sickening squelch of a freshly blossomed Pustula, slithering upward from the earth and spilling stinking nectar onto the dirt. I wrinkled my nose at the smell and Meg spit into The Killer Forest as a result.

“Hey, can I tell you something?” she asks as she crosses her legs and settles in beside me.

“Yeah, what is it?” I answered.

“I…um…I remember how I got here.” She says, looking out into the woods and not at me.

“Wait…you do!?” I did nothing to mask my shock.

“Yeah, it was while I was out for a run. I’d given up my shot at college to go home and take care of my mom…cancer.” She says, an undeniable fear glinting in her eyes for only a second.

“I remember, you mentioned a long time ago that your dad left when you were little.”

“Yeah, good riddance. Mom and I were fine, I never should have gone on that run though.” She leaned back on her hands and looked up at the harvest moon hanging in the sky, casting that same orange light over the whole area.

“What happened?”

“I had my headphones on when the music started skipping…I took them off, thinking it might be my iPod not working but…the woods around me had changed. It was just a park, a forest path that I’d run on millions of times was suddenly dark and foggy. It was immediately strange since it was in the middle of summer, but the really weird part was when it seemed like the trees were getting closer.” She seemed to fade off into that memory as she gazed hard at the trees before us. “Every turn I made and every blink, it seemed like the trees were getting closer and blocking me in…so I started running. They started chasing me down, it felt like. I just ran harder until I ran into some geeky guy hiding in a bush.” She says and turns to me with a smile, her eyes still seeing the memory but looking back fondly upon our meeting.

We laugh, recalling vividly how I’d been hiding from Trapper when Meg literally busted through a bush and ran right into me, knocking us both down.

“I’m just glad that was you then and not Trapper, that would have been really awkward. I’ve never seen the man so much as stumble before.” I admitted and she nodded her agreement.

“Yeah…It’s weird but I think I started remembering how it happened right after (f/n) came back. Freaky huh?” she says and I nod but decide not to tell her about David’s recollection.

That’s two different people whose memories have returned to them after (f/n) came back from…wherever she’d been. No one here can remember how they came here, then (f/n) returns and not only was she the only one who knew exactly how she came to be here…but her return sparked those memories to life in Meg and David.

I wonder if others have experienced those memories again or if it was just them so far? If they have, why hasn’t anyone else said so? What’s more, why would her returning here revive those memories within us?

Meg lets out a sigh and stands up, loudly cracking her back as she stretches out and waves me to follow her. “Come on…let’s go.”

Turning away from their forest sent a cold chill up my spine, almost as if those woods were actively closing in on us the way Meg had seen before coming here. The idea was off-putting but I shook my head to clear the image and rejoined the small group we’d gathered at the edge of the woods.

We’d left the Camp Fire at the center of our woods and could see Bill and Quentin preparing a new large bonfire that would center our new camp. I could see that preparations for the impending mission were in full swing. Everyone was working in different spots to ensure we were as prepared as humanly possible.

Laurie, Adam, Jane and Feng were nowhere to be found at the moment, but that was distracted from by the sound of David chopping wood and stacking the pieces beside Bill and Quentin.

Claudette and Jake were seated beside a small gaggle of laundry baskets full of everyone’s items and offerings, organized and bunched accordingly.

Jeff and Nea seemed to be looking over some of his sketch books nearby when Ash and Ace approached Meg and I.

“You guys almost ready to get started?” Ash asked and I nodded, gesturing around at us.

“We seem to be missing a few?? Where are the others?”

“Jane’s place happens to be the closest to where we are right now and Tapp said he could smell rain coming. He’s grabbing a few things from Feng’s place to prepare us. Jane, Laurie and Feng are setting up a weather appropriate camp at Jane’s incase this camp gets tossed like a salad.” Ace says just as Bill approaches who gives him a squinty eyed look.

“Have you no tact?”

Fortunately, everyone had a good supply built up of things to ensure we’d have everything we need. Usually we kept our items to ourselves since they were sometimes hard to come by. “Finders Keepers” was a game that particularly Ace liked to play. Today however, we’d collectively settled our things together so we could prepare for this properly and I guess someone was kind enough to sort everything accordingly.

I was rather impressed with our little stockpile of items. Flashlights set into neat little rows, Toolboxes stacked atop one another and Med Kits all lined up beside each other. There were equally gruesome items set alongside them all in large baskets. Offerings we were familiar with burning often, shrouds left by Vigo in various places…always haunting us with his memory. There were also several small vials of reagents to influence the fog we would see in the Trials and several carefully organized baskets of offerings that would take us to certain places should we burn it.

Keys, masks, bones and puzzle piece shaped chunks of flesh…definitive offerings to affect where we would be sent…grizzly but useful.

I turned to look at the side of the forest opposite to us and could see the storm raging in the distance, still in the Killer Forest but on its way to us. Looking out at it I knew that it would snuff out the harvest moon above us soon enough and leave us with only the firelight to keep us out of the dark.

The sun wouldn’t come up again until this Trial was over, but that wasn’t going to happen until they had their four man kill for The Entity. I clenched my fist tight as I thought about the only ones that weren’t here; Kate and (f/n) …this fact forced me into a new realization that I must have overlooked during our talk earlier.

“Only two of us are gone…” I muttered and Meg turned to me, seeming not to have heard me at all.

“What’s that?”

“Who’s not here? Only Kate and (f/n) are not present…only two of us.” I say and this little wave of anxiety shoots over us all.

“Oh shit,” Meg says, slapping her forehead as she too realized our oversight and Jake stands up.

“Two new Survivors at once? That’s never happened before…but it means that we’ll be rescuing two people who may not know how this world works at all.” Jake says and I nod but can’t bring myself to remember what Trapper had said.

“Trapper mentioned something about two new people and a new Killer but…I can’t remember.” I say and Claudette stands up as well.

“Well, things got a little out of control right after we got caught…I don’t blame you.” She says then gestures at the area around her. “We best get started,” she says and I nod.

I took a deep breath, focusing on that twinge of pain in my shoulder from where David had arm barred me before. That little bit of pain allowed me to root myself to it before stepping over to join the others. The group crowded around us and waited patiently for me, ready…waiting…expecting leadership.

This felt different than in the Trials, I guess because I either stepped up or died. There was no immediate threat so my panic laden leadership wasn’t as easy to channel now.

“Alright…Let’s pack in synchrony to make sure we all have our supplies. Everyone gets a utility flashlight, pack extra batteries and make sure your lights are affixed with an intense halogen and sapphire lens.” I instruct, trying to sound more confident than I actually felt.

Jake, Meg and Claudette slowly pick up a flashlight and pack four extra batteries and have to dig through the basket of lenses to find the one I mentioned. I feel a hand on my arm and see that Jane and the others have returned and she’s presenting to me a back pack clearly marked for her use only.

“Dwight, don’t forget about yourself.” Jane says and offers me a back pack she’d brought along.

It was weaved from heavy material with a faded red, yellow and white pattern on it that spoke of her heritage, save for one faded but excited blue hedgehog patched over an obvious tear.

“Right…Thanks Jane.” She winks before rejoining the others and I move to gather my own supplies.

The shaft of the flashlight was built from heavy metal, crisscross patterned with deep diamond shaped grooves for efficient grip. The power behind the seemingly harmless tool always sent a shiver through my arm, even without the modifications.

I’d almost considered us using the odd bulbs instead but they ate up batteries too fast and we wouldn’t have time to reload them constantly…at least I figured we wouldn’t. I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure as to what we would be immediately faced with, a Realm of hell without its master and all the monsters running loose. Not to mention some of those monsters were on our side and to make matters worse, there were two new souls trapped here that we would have to protect.

“Ahem…Ok…uh, Keys?” I say next and am once again responded to with a slight rustling of movement and the tiniest bit of chatter.

Jake and Meg both had their own small basket of keys set aside and Claudette borrowed from Meg. While they did that, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the only dirty, bent up key that I’d managed to hold onto. It reverberated the tiniest of hums as I held it and chilled the fingers that touched it. These were some of the most difficult to come across items here as they were the only thing that could promise us victory after the Hatch has been shut during the Endgame.

“Michelle’s Map?” Meg asks and all eyes fall to me.

I stutter as I glance down at my pathetic little laundry basket, previously full of all my things had now been filled with maps but Michelle’s map had been placed on top of it like a cherry.

It was a huge piece of parchment that Michelle had sewn together herself and after I prodded her for a while, asking about how she’d obtained the materials to make it…she told me. I’d never shared that secret with anyone…nor how I’d followed it later on. The conversation I’d had with her over that haunted my thoughts like an upset soul.

I took a deep breath before picking it up and placed it into the bag, pressing it off to the side at the bottom. I felt a small chill race up my spine as my fingers left it and Claudette’s eyes held question before she opened her mouth again.

“Dwight, I’m not doubting you at all…but Michelle…um…” she stuttered and Meg took over.

“Michelle died a long time ago…how are we sure we can still trust her map?” she asks and I bite the inside of my cheek before answering, I guess a secret only stays one if you don’t tell it.

“Michelle told me how she made it…I’ve added to it as the forest grew and changed. I promise, it’s up to date.” There’s a long pause as I feel that unspoken question hangs in the air but strangely enough, I hear my own voice asking Michelle… _How did you make that?_ “Moving on,” I say trying to ignore it and Jake holds up a first aid kit.

“Medicine time,” he says and pops it open; showing us his own personal layout. “Ok, so what I have here is a small cornucopia of everything we’d need to quick fix and field dress until we can get ourselves to safety. I’ve only packed one anti-hemorrhage syringe because putting all our eggs in one basket would be dangerous…and I only have one.”

“Eggs in a basket?” Meg tilts her head.

“He means that if we just brought our whole stockpile and we fail…we’d lose everything. Better to play it strategically and not panic.” Feng answers and kneels beside us, presenting us with a porcelain tiger mask. “Here, if you’re going to her forest…you’ll want to burn this.” She says and that’s when Adam kneels down beside her and picks it up, surveying its glassy surface.

“The one that usually accepts these offerings isn’t present…how are you sure it will work?”

“Better to try anyways, play it safe? I’ve got a crap ton of this stuff so I’m not bent out of shape wasting my stockpile.” She says excitedly and Adam nods, smiling.

“It’s true…Feng is one hell of a…what’d you call it? Something hoarder?” Meg adds.

“Loot hoarder, even the weakest item can mean the difference between Survival and Sacrifice. You’ll thank me,” she says and leaves the tiger mask on the ground before us before stepping back to rejoin the ranks.

“Last but not least…Perks,” I say and the mention of this has us all take a deep breath before Nea comes over to us, holding an old piece of cardboard and a pencil.

“So…who’s taking what? Remember, _everyone_ brings Self-Care and choose your builds wisely.” she orders firmly before pointing at Jake’s raised hand.

“I’m taking Iron Will, Calm Spirit and Boil Over.” He says and Nea gives him an unsure look but she takes note anyways.

“Next,” without looking at us, Meg starts.

“Quick & Quiet, Adrenaline and Tenacity.” She shoots finger guns at Detective Tapp who nods respectfully at her.

“Claudette, I’m gonna guess Empathy?” she starts but Claudette shakes her head, though Nea doesn’t see that.

“No,” she says in a low voice, this makes Nea raise her head.

“No?” She sounds genuinely shocked.

“I’ll take Sprint Burst, Aftercare and Balanced Landing.” Nea raises her eyes from the cardboard and smiles fondly at Claudette. They share a fist bump and I feel a small smile come to my face.

Using someone else’s Perk has become something of a sign of respect. Meg using Tapp’s perk is a compliment to his well…tenacity. Similarly, Claudette using Balanced Landing is a compliment to Nea’s speed since the former usually uses Perks that help others and less herself.

“Alright Dwight…what are you taking?”

“Windows of Opportunity, Leader and Resilience.” There’s a gap of awkward silence and its only assured after Nea nods and jots it down.

I knew why they had fallen silent…Resilience was one of Michelle’s Perks. Once you left us…any Perk you brought here was all that you left behind…that being said though, your words were the only other piece left…names were irrelevant.

“I’ll get those laid out for you all…take care of yourselves.”

Just as we’re closing up our bags, Jake jumps to his feet and rushes over to Nea who looks surprised when he grabs her face and pulls her into a passionate kiss, causing gasps all around as she drops the cardboard and melts into his arms, holding him tight.

I was happy to see him so happy…but also felt a twist of pain in my heart. I clenched my teeth and turned my back to them, letting them finish. I was surprised by Jake placing his hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him as he nodded and we bid the others farewell. They stopped the goodbyes and instead said they’d ‘see us soon’. Another pinch in my heart; they fully expected us to return as a group.

I kept my worries to myself, looking at this as anything different than a Trial was dangerous. There was no guarantee that we’d come back together…if at all. I expected that failure would mean more torture than anything like before.

There was this sense of dread over the lot of us as we looked into the woods. Glancing at the group I was taking with me into the woods I could see that we’d had similar ideas as to how we should dress.

(f/n) had been wearing my shirt when she went into the Trial so I didn’t have it, I just chose to wear what I had the night of the party…minus that fedora.

Meg had worn her pink runners top and blue leggings with pink tennis shoes, also sporting her utility belt with four pockets but they were likely empty. She’d also French braided it back and tied off the end with a black band.

Claudette had adorned her pink button up with two pockets on the chest and blue capris with dirty old sneakers. Despite her hair getting chopped off before, she’d cleaned it up a little and now sported a trendy bob with her bangs framing her face.

Jake never felt the need to change his clothes too much, lest they need washing so he always sported his green jacket, gardeners’ gloves and thick Carhart pants with black hiking boots. The one thing he never went without was his scarf, it was a soft grey thing that he never left alone; a parting gift from his mother when he left home.

As nervous as I’m sure we all were about this I felt there was still more to be said, I turned to the group.

“Hang on, before we go…I’ve got a few things to say.”

“Dwight, can’t it wait? You’ve got to get out there and save the love of your life, all that jazz…right?” Feng says and I smile softly at her.

“I know…but this has to be said now.”

There’s a long pause, no one wanted to interrupt me and I was building myself up to say what needed saying. I took a deep breath and looked over all their expectant faces.

“Listen, I appreciate your confidence in us…but we can’t feign ignorance over the truth. We are about to venture into Killer Territory on a rescue mission for not just a team of our own…but Killers as well. Keep in mind…there’s no way in hell the ones who still mean to hunt us, won’t let the others go without a fight. We are going to have to stand against them, be at odds with them and it may come down to one on one if things get really bad. Please understand, if the sun comes up and we didn’t come back…this entire attempt was a complete failure. Do not venture out for us! Leave us and prepare for the next Trial as usual.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “This past…few months has been absolutely chaotic and that says a lot considering what we’ve all been through. (f/n)’s arrival was unlike anything we’d seen…and that’s because she wasn’t meant to be one of us.”

“What?!” Meg gasps but Claudette keeps her head bowed. “Claudette, you knew about this too?!”

“We overheard it at the Killer Camp and I couldn’t find a moment to say anything about it. I’m telling you now.” I say clearly and I can see the uncertainty in their eyes. “Listen, she was originally brought here to be a Killer…she was meant to hunt us down our first Trial with her. Something went wrong and she never underwent the transformation that she was supposed to. She never became the monster it wanted her to be and she became one of us by default.”

“Are you surprised she ended up being one of us though? Remember the story she told about how she came here? She was always meant to be one of us.” Feng says and I smile softly.

“You’re right, but that being said…” I say, lowering my head. “Kate and the two new Survivors…they’re our priority.”

There’s an audible gasp amongst them and I know I should cut to the chase…but the words hurt to say.

“But…what about (f/n)? You’re not saying…” David starts.

“Yes, I am.” I cut him off and the look on his face is one of pure shock. “I love (f/n) more than words can describe…but if it comes down to it and we have to leave someone…it will have to be her. She’s the only one with Perks that would help her survive any situation and to leave anyone else would be foolish. Feng said so herself, we have to look at this strategically…logically, she’s the one we should leave behind.” I say and feel my chest weigh heavy with her image in mind.

_She’d side with me. They know I’m right…that’s why no one is arguing with me…so why do I feel like absolute garbage for saying those words?_

I took a deep breath and steeled myself before raising my head and looking at them, knowing I may never see their faces again.

“We’ll do our best though, to save everyone. That’s the ultimate goal tonight, no one else is going up on those hooks. The hunt is over.” I say and their faith in us seems renewed but…I still feel that terrible weight in my chest for electing to leave (f/n) behind.

We haven’t even set foot into those woods yet and I’m already preparing to leave behind one of the only people who I’d gladly do anything for. Look at me, I’m supposed to love her and yet I’m opting to leave her behind in a horrible place to protect others…where’s the nobility in that? What I’ve said is wrong and what I’ve opted to do is wrong! Yet it makes the most sense when it comes to the number of lives we need to save.

I’m pulled from my thoughts by Meg’s hand on my shoulder. I look up at her and her blue eyes are big and searching my face for something.

“That was one hell of a proclamation there Dwight. You shouldn’t worry though; it won’t have to come to that. We have to remain confident.” She says, trying to lift my spirits…but I shake my head, making the smile she gave me fade.

“I’m sorry, but if I’m going to look out for you guys like a true leader…I have to put the needs of the many…over the desires of the one.” I say and she slowly lets her hand leave my shoulder.

“You don’t have to be ‘the one’ though,” she says quietly before turning her attention to the forest before us.

The woods were daunting, dark and filled with the light fog we’d all come to fear. The bark on the trees were black, few of them were cracked open with glowing orange puss leaking out and more sported Pustula’s that grew into at least two blossoms a sprout.

The four of us took that first step over the line and felt the air around us drop almost 20 degrees instantly. Chills shot up our backs and goosebumps raised up over everyone’s skin as the fog seemed to reach out towards us, beckoning us to go further within it.

“Whoa…” Meg lets out a shaky breath.

“Whoa, is right.” I agreed and started forward, leading the way into the woods; allowing the fog to swallow us and block the others from seeing us within it. The sky grew darker and the chilly air held the heavy odor of the Pustula Petals all around us, the dense fog doing nothing to weigh down that stench. We each pulled out a face mask, all borrowed from Nea to fend off the smell.

As we ventured further into the woods, the foliage and land began to change. The large maple looking trees began to fade into Blighted sycamores, the loose shrubbery we’d passed were transforming into thick brambles. The woods slowly grew darker until even the light of the moon above us wasn’t enough to light the way well. I reluctantly kept my light away, leading us through the dark. My eyes were adjusting to the dark and I could still make out the trees and brush as we went, keeping us on a straight path into the woods. While light would have been immensely helpful, it would both give us away and waste the light we may need later. We were on the edge of Huntress’ territory when we heard the slightest of flaps and we all fell quiet, our slow steps coming to a dead stop.

“What was that?” Claudette whispered.

The flapping sound seemed to bounce around us and started making me nervous, this was new. I’d never heard sounds scatter around us the way this was right now and I worried we had stumbled into some sort of trap. I pulled out my light and raised the beam and my jaw dropped. In front of us, was an Alfred Hitchcock wet dream…birds. Birds EVERYWHERE!

The crows were quite literally everywhere, branches weighed down with them, the ground looking black with the amount of birds and feathers there were all huddled together. That flapping we kept hearing was them, we’d wandered right into a big murder and glancing behind me I could see the path behind us was bare of any crows.

Ok…we walked right into them but we hadn’t gone far…I gestured for the others to back up. They started moving back slowly as not to stir the birds when one crow with big red eyes flew down and landed right in front of us!

“Fuck…” As that word left my lips, the red eyed crow let out a deafening cry and the birds began to frenzy!

“RUN!” Meg screamed and we started running forward as fast as we could! The forest was somewhat illuminated by the many Pustula’s we passed as we ran, only allowing us the ability to see the crows just before they attacked us. Pecks and talons all around us and loud caws left us running blind! My vision became streaks of orange amid the dark forest when my foot caught a root and I fell down so hard, my glasses fell off and I was once again left in a world of blurry colors and agony.

I could only cover my head and curl up in a ball as I was pecked at mercilessly by what felt like a small army of crows on me! Their talons dug into me to hold tight as they pecked harshly, their sharp beaks stabbing through my shirt and into my skin. I swung up wildly to try and fend them off but they refused to leave me be.

I could hear Meg and Claudette screaming in pain as they were picked apart by these things and I felt my heart sink deep into the dirt. We’d barely managed a few steps into their forest and we’d already been bested by crows!

I heard feet nearby and my fears became reality…someone had found us already. All this commotion was sure to bring every Killer within earshot in our general direction.

Damn it.

I waited as the feet approached me slowly when I felt a hand on my cheek, gloved and rough; gardener gloves. Jake!

“Shush…its Ok.” He said calmly and rubbed my cheek with his thumb.

I fell as still as I could, involuntarily jerking as I was still being pecked at. I could hear him still muttering softly as the number of crows on me began to dwindle and their loud caws began to soothe into an almost pigeon like cooing.

I laid there as still as possible, catching my breath and letting my heart slow down again when I felt my glasses get pushed into place on my face and I could clearly see Jake now, holding my light and offering it to me.

I took the light and looked around, there were maybe seven or eight crows just calmly preening around me on the ground, no longer concerned with us.

“Shush,” he says and gestures to follow him as he helps me to stand.

Despite us standing amid the calm, we can hear the girls screaming still, somewhere in the dark. I raise my beam and see that there are crows all around us now, we were in the thick of their woods and they knew we didn’t belong here.

“Light,” he whispers and points straight ahead of us.

I raise my beam and he walks forward, guiding me along behind him, he’s still got a firm grip on my hand as we go further into the woods. Soon, we find Meg; huddled against a tree and swinging her light at them blindly trying to fend off the six birds that were bouncing around her, pecking and cawing loudly.

Jake gestured for me to wait and walked over to her slowly, reaching out and catching the wrist with the light in her hand and making her look up.

“Jake, what the fuck!” she says but he just shakes his head and shushes her like he did me and she falls silent and still.

He then starts reaching out and carefully grabbing the birds, catching their wings against their bodies and shushing them as he pets down their ruffled feathers before setting them on the ground away from her and moving on to the next.

Once the last crow has been set down, Meg raises her head; still shaking terribly from the assault. Jake takes her hand and guides her to stand before gesturing for me to follow the whimpering cries of Claudette from within the dark.

We find her curled up into a ball, using her backpack to try and push the birds away but they simply hop back over and peck at her sides, as if teasing her like a playground bully.

Jake leaves us to go over and do his same slow-moving crow removal as he seems to deem her whimpering not a problem. Once they’re off her, she raises her head and sighs upon seeing him and sits up to hug him, ignoring the birds around her who in turn, ignore her as well.

Once we get her up, we huddle together, hold hands and start forward into the woods. I use my light to keep us on the trodden down path and despite it being overrun by crows at the moment, we manage to avoid further attacks by lightly prodding them into stepping out of our way.

Carefully, following that path even after leaving the massive murder, we didn’t talk or let go of each other until we reach a small clearing. Jake lets out a heavy breath; the silent sign we’d been unknowingly waiting for.

“Ok, we’re safe now.” He says calmly.

“What the hell was that? The crows have never attacked us before,” Meg asks, surveying her arms for damage.

Everyone but Jake is riddled with little red spots of blood or scrapes from the attack.

“More changes, the being that kept them alive is no longer present, their way of life is changing but they don’t know what to do.” Jake answers but I just feel my anxiety spike again.

“Sounds familiar,” I say lowly, knowing that my low spirits are going to infect the others like a virus and I need to get it together.

“Um…I think we’ve gotten a little turned around. This isn’t The Red Forest.” Claudette says and that prompts the rest of us to look.

The massive trees had been replaced with little suburban trees, trimmed and well-kept, but the sight of an abandoned preschool told me exactly where we were even without looking at Michelle’s map.

“Springwood…this is Freddy’s Realm!”

Just as that realization struck me, we were startled into hiding behind some bushes by the loudest scream that seemed to come from nowhere. Julie suddenly ran by and ducked behind a wall, her head lolling off to one side.

Her hood was down and she wasn’t wearing her mask so we could see the expression on her face, jaw tensed and eyes crinkled up in frustration. She was sweating terribly and was shivering at the same time. Despite the sweat, her eyes and lips were dark blue and I knew right away what was wrong.

“It’s Julie, she’s asleep! She must be just far enough away from the others to make her Curse prevalent.” I say when Claudette touches my shoulder.

“Freddy must be the one punishing them!”

“Hmm…Ok, I have a plan. Jake, Claudette; you two will stay with me. Meg, you are gonna run back to the others and bring Quentin here. We’re going to have to stop Freddy once and for all if we’re going to help them…we’ll need his help.” I say and Meg looks unsure.

“Are you sure separating is a good idea? I can avoid the birds now that I know where we are but...is it really worth it?” she asks and I nod.

“This is a battle that he knows better than any of us, he’s the key to beating Freddy.” I say and she nods before turning and racing off into the woods.

Claudette squeezes my shoulder and I reach up and take her hand. “She’ll be alright, won’t she?” she asks and I nod.

“She’ll be back before we know it, for now…let’s wake Julie.” I say and am about to start forward when we hear what sounds like little girls singing.

A haunting melody and I whipped around, pushing Claudette and Jake further into the bushes, just as Freddy rounds the corner of a house nearby and comes into view.

“Oh look…another playmate. I knew you were stupid but I didn’t think you were stupid enough to come back all alone.” He mocks and wiggles his bladed fingers, his voice sending chills up my back.

He hasn’t seen them so he must think I’m alone. He suddenly swings to hit me but I jump backwards, dodging them and his eyes widen, not the least bit concerned though. “Quicker than before.”

“What are you doing to Julie? Where are the others?” I ask, spotting Jake and Claudette slowly sneaking around behind him and towards her.

“Bad things happening to bad kids…and nosy kids…just so happen to be a niche of mine.” He laughs wickedly, his lilting, gravelly voice was unsettling. It was like being face to face with the embodiment of your worst nightmares and it laughed at you too.

Whatever was happening to Julie must have begun to worsen as she began swinging punches wildly and screaming to be left alone.

“What have you done to her?” I ask calmly, bracing a foot behind me should he swing again.

Freddy smiles then slowly approaches me, offering me one blade from his hand and a sinister sentence.

“See for yourself.”

I hesitate, knowing that I was taking a big risk by allowing him to pull me into The Dream World…but it was a risk I would have to take if I was going to help Julie.

I reached out and cut my palm open on his knife, plunging the world around me into a water damaged ink painting. Dyed in black and white with what looked like ash falling from the cloud filled sky. Despite the few Pustula’s that radiated that bright orange light, their glow was quite subdued compared to before and now, even the harvest moon was blocked out of the sky by those ash raining clouds.

Looking up from my hand, I could see that Julie was wearing a bright pink dress with a white ribbon in her hair and deep magenta lipstick on her lips. She was swinging wildly at a fat guy in a too tight blazer and holding screaming flowers made of baby heads out to her.

“It’s Ok if you’re mad now, you’ll learn to love me since we’ll be married soon.” He said, his voice gurgling from how bad she’d already beaten his face in.

His eyes were deflated and gushing blood, covering the baby heads before him in it, which only seemed to make them cry louder.

“I’LL KILL YOU BEFORE I EVER SAY ‘I DO’ TO YOU!!!!” She screamed as she landed another vicious punch to the center of his face, cracking his nose and disfiguring the man more.

I could see the horror in her eyes, her make up smeared from the amount of times she’d wiped her face and something that looked like a bite mark on her upper lip.

“Aw…Julie…” I said when Freddy stepped between us and raised his hand.

“Now then, let’s see what it is you’re really afraid of.” He says and I raise my arms to defend myself when a crisp smack rings out and we both look back to Julie.

“Ouch!” Julie exclaimed.

Jake and Claudette are crouched beside her and now she is rubbing a red spot on her face; the vision of that man and his baby-flower hybrids was gone. Claudette had slapped her awake.

“Sorry! I panicked!”

“Damn you!” Freddy yelled, turning towards them when he is tackled into the concrete by Quentin and Meg, both grabbing the arm with the blades attached and pinning it back.

Just as I stand up however, they are dropped onto the dirt as he vanishes into thin air, his laugh echoing over the area. He got away.

“Your timing could _not_ have been better!” I sighed and knelt down as Claudette raced over to me and started snapping and clapping by my head; slowly rousing me from the dream world.

“Where did he go?” Meg asked as she sat up to look around quickly.

Quentin stood up slowly and dusted his pants off. “Dream Projection, it lets him teleport. Makes it really hard to pin him down…literally. Fortunately, in this place, he’s limited to use generators to teleport.”

“What I don’t get is why he would run? I’ve never pegged him as the type to run just because he’s outnumbered.” Meg says as she stands up as well.

“Probably to reinforce his hold on the others…now that he knows we’re coming.” I affirm, the grey haze leaving my eyes as I return to the waking world.

“Dwight…” Julie mutters and Quentin becomes tense as he lays eyes on her. “You saw that?”

I nod and she curls her knees up against her chest, embarrassed. I go over to her, the usually confident woman now looking like a frightened schoolgirl.

“Freddy lives off fear, it makes him stronger and gives him power.” Quentin explains softly.

Julie nods and takes a deep breath. “My parents were friends with people that built the Ormond Resort, they wanted a merger deal with my parents lumber company and to sweeten the pot…they introduced me to their loser son. I was honest from the start that I hated his guts but my parents warned me not to ruin this like I ruin everything else. They set up a dinner date and when he tried to kiss me and I pushed him away, he bit me and said I’d learn to love him. I beat him so bad that his parents pulled out of the deal and left town, deciding that suing a criminal wasn’t nearly as bad as abandoning a business venture to hurt my parents where it hurts…their wallets.” She recalled ruefully.

“Don’t worry, we’re going to stop him.” Quentin says and Julie raises her head to him.

“How?”

“I can help protect you guys. If Freddy is creating nightmares again…we’ll all be facing our worst fears tonight.”

Those words send us into a moment of self-reflection when there’s a sickening scuttling sound and Claudette’s eyes blow wide!

“Look!” she points and we all look over just in time to see what looks like a massive spider, scurrying into the preschool. “Spiders!?”

“No, no, no, I hate spiders!!” Meg worries but Quentin looks bemused by it.

“Seems a little tame for him, there must be more to it than just a bug.” He says and I nod, knowing he’s right…but also noting how relaxed he is.

I’ve never seen him so calm, he’s usually skittish and nervous…but he seems strangely at home in this setting.

“Joey is in there somewhere…I can feel him.” Julie says, shivering as Meg helps her to stand up.

“Feel him?” Quentin asks but I shake my head.

“We’ll explain later, let’s go find him.” I say as we start towards the school and as we enter the busted down doorway, we see the halls of this place have been coated in thick webs and tiny spiders are crawling all around. I look closely at one of the larger ones and its head is rather bulbus looking.

“What the hell is wrong with these things?” I ask when Julie speaks up.

“Joeys father…that jerk was always treating Joey like less of a person and more of a chore. Joey also has this weird phobia of spiders; he’s never gotten over it.” She explains.

“The two must have mixed when Freddy put him to sleep, he’s probably downstairs.” Quentin says and starts forward, leading us down into the bowels of the school.

“Hey Quentin,” I start and he hums, not turning to look at me. “I’ve never seen you so…calm before, mind if I ask why?”

“It’s like growing up in an abusive house; you grow accustomed to the hell. You leave for a while, having come to your senses but the change is scarier so you return to that hell and feel at home, the chaos seeming familiar to you.” He says easily and I nod.

Once we reach the bottom of the stairs, we see Joey on a mattress tucked off in the corner, curled up and shivering something awful when Julie pushes past us and slaps his face. His eyes open wide and she seems to vanish before our eyes, making Quentin stutter in his calmness.

“Where did she disappear off to?!” he asks when Jake points towards the hall farthest from us.

“Later, I think daddy’s home!” he says.

Massive spider legs begin to claw and grapple their way into the room as a cartoonish looking man head attached to a spider’s body tries to force its way into the room!

“What the hell-wait…WE’RE ALL ASLEEP!!!” Meg yells, “That’s the only way we’re seeing this thing right now!”

“I don’t even remember falling asleep!!” Claudette says, clutching to Megs side.

Joey stumbles over and brandishes his weapon, a knife with brass knuckles as the handle and faces the massive head of this abomination.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he says as he punches the beast square in the center of his eye and it explodes with blood, the thing screaming in agony as the blade digs into the side of its eye hole and rips along the tear ducts.

Joey then begins unleashing absolute hell on the face of this thing as its legs are unable to turn and grab him or push himself forward or back; he’s too huge. The creature finally drags itself out of the hall and seems to flee in the wake of Joey’s rage and Quentin lets out a sigh, the stench of blood and something else sour starting to permeate the air even with our masks on.

“Joey faced his fear…that’s the only way to stop Freddy. Our fear makes him stronger so once we take away the fear, we have to pull him into the real world to kill him.” Quentin says as Joey turns back to us and waves with his blade.

“How’s it going?” he says when Claudette waves back.

“Um…can you start waking us up please?” she asks.

He comes over and starts waking us up with shaky handed claps and snaps. As he does, I think to ask another question.

“So, if that’s true…why didn’t you kill him back in your world?” I ask.

“My friend Nancy and I tried…but knowing what I know about this place…The Entity must have snatched him up before snatching me up as well.” He gained this faraway look in his eyes then the smallest of smiles crept onto his face. “At least Nancy can finally sleep in peace now,”

I could see the bittersweet joy on his face as he seemed to recall this Nancy rather fondly and I felt bad for him.

“Friend?” I ask and he lets a small chuckle escape, the first I’ve heard from him.

“Well…I want to be more…but…” he suddenly stops himself and turns bright red. “Ahem, anyways…who else do we need to find?”

“Susie and Frank, they’re still here somewhere. I heard Susie crying but I don’t even know where we should start looking…” Joey admits as he stuffs his hands into his pockets, shivering.

Despite his skin being dark, I could see the paleness in his face and he was sweating as well.

“Should we split up?” Meg pipes in but Quentin shakes his head.

“No, if we’re alone then we could fall prey to our fears. We have to stick together and hold each other up, no matter what we’re faced with.”

“I’ve never seen him like this,” Claudette whispers to me and I nod.

Quentin seems strangely in his element this way and I thank my lucky stars that Meg was able to bring him here. Without him, we’d be flying absolutely blind right now. That being said, I am suddenly struck with an idea.

“What if one of us goes to sleep? If Susie is close by, I should find her that way, right?” I offer and Quentin turns to me quickly.

“No way, that’s way too risky. If Freddy gets you in your sleep, you’ll be lost to us here.” He says.

“I don’t think we have any other choices and we don’t have enough time to run around the Map and look for them.” I say and he looks very uncomfortable as he visibly starts mulling my idea over.

“I think he’s right Quentin, we can just stay here and keep watch over him.” Claudette says and he looks around, seeing that he’s outnumbered.

He looks back to me and nods before his jaw tightens and he takes a deep breath.

“Ok, if we’re doing this; we’re following my lead. Dwight, you have ten minutes to find Susie in the Dream World. If you can’t find her by then, we’re waking you up and getting you out of there.” He says and I nod before laying down on the ground and looking around at them all before taking a deep breath and closing my eyes.

I felt a cold drop hit my face and I opened my eyes again to see that everyone around me was gone and the room was that same grey washed world I’d seen before. I sit up and start walking around in the basement, listening carefully when I hear what sounds like crying.

I start towards it when I’m shocked to see Susie curled up in the corner, her hood up and knees hiding her face. I can hear her sobbing and she seems to be sitting in a puddle of her own tears, shivering and crying.

“Susie,” I say as I approach but as she raises her head, I jerk back and gasp.

Her head has been wrapped in heavy metal wires, cutting deep into her face and eyes, tangled up in her hair. Her head is also adorned with several too tight but brightly colored rubber bands, splattered with more blood that soaked into her sweatshirt.

“Aww…Susie…” I kneel down beside her and pull her close, letting her rest her head on my shoulder as she continues to cry.

I can feel how upset her braces made her feel, how ugly she thought they made her. I could hear what sounded like a woman telling her how hideous she was to look at. Her mother…a mean-spirited woman who only won custody of Susie so her father couldn’t see her.

Poor kid had been through hell before ever coming here…my parents were absent and disappointed in me…they never made it their mission to hurt me though.

I put my arm around her shoulder and gently begin shaking her, calling her name softly to try and rouse her from the Dream World. “I’m not sure where you are in the real world, but I want you to know that just because you can’t feel them anymore…that doesn’t mean you’re not still part of The Legion. You guys have something special, with or without The Entity. Don’t you ever forget that, Ok?” I say and after her shivering seemed to subside, I blinked and she was gone, her sobs leaving me too.

It was silent, for all of a few moments when I stand up only to have my legs pulled out from under me. Something was wrapped around my ankles, binding my legs together as it dragged me off down the hall of the basement. My elbows and forearms left bloody tracks on the concrete as I was dragged off.

The raw flesh stung terribly and bled heavily as I was suddenly lifted up and hung upside down from the ceiling. I swung a little as I tried to reach up and undo whatever was tied around my ankles but looking up, I could see it was a jump rope and it was far too tight for me to undo!

I fell back to hang and my glasses fell off my face, clacking loudly on the floor as I heard someone drawing nearer, humming that tune usually sung by a chorus of little girls.

I didn’t have to see him clearly to know he was around me somewhere, calmly walking around me and humming.

“You’re not as pathetic as I thought, you’ve got guts…how about you show them to me?” he says and I hear his blades scrape against each other as he raises his hand and I catch the glint of them in the dim light of this basement. I used my arms to twist around and he sliced into my back instead of my belly, the blades cutting through my skin easily but bumping into my ribs as he swiped.

I screamed as I felt the blood begin to soak into my shirt and trickle up my neck and into my hair. Freddy just laughs as he scrapes his blades together again and I hear the sickening crunch of my glasses as he steps on them…he’s right in front of me.

“Oops, guess you shouldn’t have taken that nap.” he laughs at me when I reach out and manage to grasp his arm, stopping his laughter as I glare at the blurry image of the monster before me.

“Nap times over!” I yelled as I feel a sharp slap against my face and everything happens in a flash.

I blink and my glasses are back on me, I’m lying on my wounded back where I’d fallen asleep and now Freddy is straddling my hips, his bladed hand still grasped by mine and we’re surrounded by the others, minus Joey, who look startled beyond compare! Just as fast as Freddy realizes what’s happened, he digs his knives into my belly and I cry out this high-pitched sound as I feel the blades slice through my skin and stomach like I’m made of tissue paper and jelly!

Freddy smiles down at me before raising his head suddenly and everyone surrounding us is thrown into the walls by some invisible force. Quentin rasps as he gets the wind knocked out of him but he still manages to yell out. “God damn it!!! He put us to sleep!!”

“You haven’t learned anything Quinney,” he says in a mocking tone. “I guess I’ll have to remind you…again.” He says as he stands up off me and slowly pulls his knives out of me, leaving me to coil up on the floor and gasp for air as blood pours from my body.

He walks over to Quentin who struggles against the wall, eyes wide with sheer terror as Freddy raises his blades to his cheek, softly running the blades over his skin and shushing him.

Just when it seems like he’s about to dig into Quentin…a flash of dark blue from around the corner digs into his back and he groans loudly! That dark blue was Susie’s drenched sweatshirt as she appeared from nowhere, no longer viciously maimed by her nightmares and has stabbed her broken ruler into his neck, quickly followed by Joey bursting from a locker and doing the same through his lower back.

Everyone against the walls drops to the floor and we watch as Julie materializes from Joey’s body and brandishes her own weapon, The Legion doing what they do best. She twirls the knife in her hand as Freddy is brought to his knees and looks up at Julie as she uses her knife to push his hat off his head.

“Welcome to the real world…Freddy.” She sneers before shoving her knife up through the bottom of his jaw and into his head, twisting it around slowly and causing a terrible crunching and squelching sound.

Joey twists his weapon sharply and there’s an audible but muffled wet pop sound and Freddy gasps as they all rip their knives from his body. He crumples off to his side, eyes wide and turning dark red as tears of blood spill down his cheeks.

It was like watching piranha frenzy a foolish swimmer, tearing into his body and ripping his scorched flesh without falter. I felt Jake, Meg, Claudette and Quentin crowd around me as we watched them drag his brutalized body towards the furnace, him spitting and swearing at them as they did. He can’t fight them; Joey severed his spine. Susie removes the bladed glove from his hand and uses it to open the blazing hot door to the furnace, revealing the inferno within it. Like the witch from Hansel and Gretel, they start stuffing him into the tiny door, ignoring his screams or the hiss of his skin against the burning metal. If he became wedged, they pushed until there was a loud crack and once he was all the way inside, broken and eviscerated; Susie used his glove to slam the door shut. They watch as he screams this horrible, gurgling sound as he’s burned alive for a second time.

“Dwight,” I hear and open my eyes to see Meg is holding my head in her lap. “Hey, welcome back. We lost you for a second.”

I sit up and look down at myself, seeing the blood stains from my now healed wounds in my clothes. I took a deep breath as I felt the ghost of that pain still in my skin, a familiar feeling but it also meant that we still couldn’t die forever…which was a good and bad thing on its own.

I hear a loud thud and Susie screams. “Joey!” I look over to see her covering his face with kisses and Julie has disappeared again. “Baby, you shouldn’t have called Julie back out like that! There’s no way you had the energy to do that!!” she says frantically when he starts trying to reach toward the stairs.

“What’s he doing?” Quentin asks.

Meg helps me to stand and Jake rushes over to Joey’s side, pulling his arm up over his shoulder and Susie does the same to his other side.

“Joey’s trying to find Frank, The Legion has to be reunited after being apart for so long! Let’s get him upstairs, quickly!” I say and I go to take over for Susie as she visibly starts to struggle. “I’ve got him,”

“Thank you, please hurry!” she says, rushing ahead of us.

“Why isn’t it affecting her though?” Quentin asks but Meg answers before I can.

I stumble as we reach the landing on the stairs but I manage to lean on the wall and keep myself up as we all but drag Joey’s body up the stairs.

“Does that matter right now?! We’ll tell you later!” she says as she leads the way towards the busted down doors that let out in front of the school and into the street.

Claudette, Meg, Quentin and Susie all spread out on the street; searching for signs of Frank being stored somewhere when something catches my eye.

The back of the ambulance is facing us but I can clearly see a crack in the glass that wasn’t there before with the tiniest smear of red against it.

“The ambulance! He’s in the ambulance!!” I yell when Susie rushes over, faster than any of us-even Meg-and begins prying at the doors to get them open. Their stuck but after a few tugs, she manages to pull them open and Frank is on the floor of the ambulance. He’s shivering, ghost white with his eyes, lips and the tip of his nose dark purple!

Susie steps back as Jake and I hasten our steps towards the ambulance and just as we get near, Joey reaches away from us and we let him go. As he falls to his knees…he disappears and Frank gasps loudly, as if he hadn’t been able to breathe that entire time.

“Jesus Christ, he’s freezing to death!” Claudette says as she places a hand against his face.

“Let’s take him to the basement, the furnace should heat him up pretty fast.” Meg says but I rush over and start pulling Frank onto my back.

“We can’t, we killed Freddy and we’re still in their forest. It’s not safe to stay here and we don’t know how long it will take for Frank to warm up.” Susie places a hand on my shoulder.

“Actually, that’s something we can talk about while we let Frank warm up downstairs.”

**SUSIE**

We dragged the mattress from the far corner of the basement over beside the furnace and while it was only a glance, I can see Freddy’s skull sitting amid the flames. It brings a smile to my face…I just hope he stays gone.

With Frank settled in on the mattress and beside the fire, he slowly starts to warm up but the shivering continues. Jake removes his jacket and his scarf, similar to what he did for me and covers Frank with it then wraps the scarf around his neck.

“Thank you,” I say and he looks up at me with a soft smile.

“Don’t mention it.” He says before sitting crisscross beside Dwight whose eyes are on me.

“Ok Susie, do you know where everyone is?” he asks and I nod.

“Yes, we were sent to be punished last so we know exactly where everyone has been taken…for the most part.” I stutter which makes Meg tilt her head at me.

“What does that mean?”

“Well, we know where our people are…but I can’t say the same for (f/n), Kate or the two new ones; Nancy and Steve.” I say and Quentin raises his head, his eyes suddenly tearing up.

“Nancy?! Wait…Nancy is here?! Why?!!” he frets but I’m very confused by his upset.

“Quentin, calm down! It could be another Nancy!” Claudette rushes out and I realize that Quentin must know a Nancy.

“She’s dressed kind of retro, like from the 80’s or something. Short brown hair, kind of petite, my age; she’s sixteen.” I say and I can see the tension release from Quentin’s shoulders as he sighs with relief.

“That’s not her…not my Nancy. Thank goodness…” he says and I feel bad for causing him such distress.

Dwight waves and brings my attention back to him. “So, where is everyone? We came here to get you guys and our people out.”

“That’s very noble, but the others won’t be able to enter your forest, not with the barrier.” I say when Frank clears his throat.

“We can’t leave yet! (f/n) is right beside us…” he says, his voice still shaking a little but he’s raising himself up, pushing the scarf and jacket off him.

“What?! How do you know?!” Dwight asks and Frank raises his brown-blue eyes to him.

“It’s called Hawkins National Laboratory, that’s where tonight’s Trial was held. I overheard the others talking about it when we got dragged back to the Killer Camp. (f/n) is still in there…I’m not leaving these woods without her.” He says, a dark glint in his eyes and I feel pride swell in my chest.

He usually got that look in his eyes when he was calling us out. Sure enough, Julie and Joey appeared behind him; stretching out as if they’d been asleep. Frank stood up, bringing the rest of us to our feet as well.

“Frank, I think we need to go back to The Survivor Forest first. Just to replenish our supplies and come up with a plan.” Dwight starts but Frank suddenly grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him into a passionate kiss, making Dwight’s eyes roll back in his head and rest his hands against Franks shoulders.

The Survivors averted their eyes but I just smiled as I watched Dwight melt against Franks chest before being let go and swaying a little before covering his mouth and turning a bright red color.

Frank’s smile sent a shiver of excitement up my spine. Dwight was right; I may not be able to feel them anymore but I knew them better than anyone else…I was still part of The Legion.

“He already has a plan.” I say and he smiles over to me.

“Damn right I do, squirt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh...my...God...that took forever.  
> Sorry this took so long, I went back to book 1 to refresh my memory and ended up finding a huge continuity error that needed desperate fixing in chapter 5 of book 2. You don't have to go back and read it for it to make sense but you can if you want to.  
> Now that I'm all caught up, it's back to doing what I love.  
> I've also updated my Patreon so that if you want to support me, you can.  
> Thanks for reading everyone! :3 (YouTube channel will be active again soon, gotta get a new camera)


	3. High Tensions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fall of the Realms looms over our favorite Survivors as they, now joined by The Legion, venture towards Hawkins National Laboratory. (f/n) is somewhere inside at the non-existent mercy of The Wicked. What has become of her after being imprisoned in her own body?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

**NANCY**

I wake up in the same, slouched position I passed out in. Trying to sit up makes me freeze as my neck and lower back are terribly stiff. My muscles ache as I try to stretch out but I’m stopped as I hear the muttering taking place near me.

I look off to my right and can see that Wicked is pacing back and forth between the two back corners of this basement and she seems to be talking to herself. She’s muttering something just under her breath but also just loud enough for me to know she’s talking. I couldn’t make out words but it seemed she was quite into this one-sided conversation.

I looked down at myself to see that the hook was no longer in my shoulder but the blood that ran down to the hem of my sweater and the tear remained. I carefully moved my hand up to try and push against the flap of torn fabric to survey the damage…but there was nothing! My skin wasn’t knitted together sloppily, grotesquely stitched together or anything to suggest I’d been impaled before! It was as if I’d never been hurt in the first place, there’s no way that’s possible! The ghost of that pain was still enough to make my stomach turn but the lack of a wound set me on edge.

How long was I passed out for? It couldn’t have been long since other than the hook no longer being in my shoulder…nothing had been done to me. I came to the conclusion that right after I went out, she removed the hook and immediately started talking to herself…otherwise…I might be a science experiment right now. I looked back over to Wicked to see that she was still pacing, mostly keeping her back to me as she seemed to be growing more agitated by whatever was going on in the second half of the conversation.

As I started to move a little more and sit up, she suddenly punched the wall ahead of her and that startled me to freeze.

“DAMN YOU, YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME (F/N)!” she yelled and I watched as she started scolding something unseen. “Don’t you get it?! You’re the whole reason he came to the house to begin with! He went there for you and if you had just stopped talking to him than your family would still be alive! It’s all your fault that they’re dead!!! You may as well have killed them yourself!!”

Her face had twisted into this image of rage! This horrible sight of veins popping out by her eyes and the long tresses of (h/c) hair lashing about the basement floor when it all suddenly came to a stop. Her eyes blew wide and the hair fell flat, as if the life had been sapped from it suddenly. Her eyes quickly filled with tears and the veins faded back into her flesh, she grimaced as if in pain and started screaming, her voice ricocheting off the walls. It echoed through the pipes one way and seemed to amplify through another point and just vibrated through the floor. I had to cover my ears or else I’m sure I would have busted an ear drum!

She suddenly dropped to her knees and started clutching her head, crying with a terrible anguish in her voice. Her voice changed…softer but I was still able to hear that it was higher in pitch that before and much clearer than that bedroom type voice she spoke with earlier.

“No…I was just a kid! I never knew how horrible the world could be…I didn’t mean to…I didn’t…I didn’t kill my parents…I’m sorry…I’m sorry!!” she cries and that’s when it clicked.

Looking back, she seemed to act like two different people earlier when we first met her. At one moment she was this confident, mean person who didn’t seem to care for anyone but herself. Then…after she fell down the stairs, she changed completely. She was apologetic and kind, almost friendly but it didn’t last long.

When she was that cold version of herself and when she insulted me, she only glared at us and her voice was that low sultry voice, like a sexy ballad singer. When she was more polite, she had this look of fear in her eyes and her voice was just like any normal woman would have.

Kate even seemed relieved when she started acting like that, as if she was back to normal. There was (f/n) and then there was Wicked…two different people inhabiting the same body. Now I see, the whole Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act wasn’t just an act, if one wasn’t in control…the other was!!

I felt this itching sensation in my bones…this could be my only chance to get out of here! How am I going to get out of here without her seeing me though? Kate mentioned before that when we run in this place, a trail is left behind…scratch marks are lit up.

I slowly raise myself to my feet, making sure not to scuff the dirty floor even a little as not to make the tiniest peep. My slow movements are trembling as my body still hasn’t completely woken up yet and I can’t stretch to rid it of its sleepiness, for fear of my back popping. My lower back aches as I stand up straight but I keep my knees bent, ready to run as fast as I can to escape this place.

Just as I prepare to run toward the stairs, this voice hisses in the back of my mind and makes me stutter in my movements, scuffing my foot against the ground.

_Fixated_

I whip around and look at Wicked but she seems to still be (f/n) right now; crying and apologizing. I felt so bad, it seemed like she was being tormented but I needed to get out of here and do what Kate said; repair generators and get the gate open.

Bypassing the whisper in my head, I look down at my feet and my heart does a backflip! Surrounding my feet on the ground are red glowing marks that were unmistakably fingernail scratches in the ground! I thought that was just what she called them but now I see that they really do look like scratch marks.

There appeared to be hundreds of them…how many times had someone been dragged away from this place and broken apart by this horrible woman?! How many people?! So many scratch marks…there must be millions…or more!!?

I hadn’t even started running yet! Was it just the intention to run that lit up those marks? I took a few quick but careful steps towards the stairs and the marks remained behind me, fading away slowly until they were gone.

I started quickly walking towards the stairs and as I started up them, I felt my heart settle in my throat as I silently willed these stairs not to creak with every step. As I got passed the landing and half way up the stairs…the muttering stopped. I dared to look over my shoulder at the silent basement now when I heard this shaking voice from within but I didn’t see anything.

“Nancy~” she sang and I started running.

Everywhere I went those scratch marks lit up and filled my heart with dread! There must be infinite amounts of these marks but I couldn’t see them until I ran by them! I continued to run, trying to ignore the fact that every step I took, I was treading on someone’s final resting place.

**WICKED**

I must have had my back turned longer than I thought. Oh well, guess that means its game time.

“That’s Ok Nancy, I love hide and seek. I just feel bad because _you’ve_ got a handicap.” I say aloud and feel (f/n) inside my head going absolutely mental at me to leave Nancy be, not to hurt her and to focus on her instead.

That sensation of helplessness and desperation only brings a smile to my lips as I start towards the stairs. She knows that her time is up and now I get to play cat and mouse while she watches from the sidelines, powerless to stop me.

“I’m not the only one looking for you Nancy darling, I hope you’re a good hider…because we’re both great seekers!” I laugh as I feel the tears begin leaking from my eyes.

(f/n) is so upset that she’s managing tears right now and I lick them from my lips as they fall…her frustration is so tasty!

**FRANK**

The woods we travel through are slowly growing thicker and the air is heavy with that delicious smell coming from those Pustula’s blooming all around us. As inviting as that smell is, we’ve learned the hard way not to go anywhere near those flowers if we can avoid it.

The affect they have in their raw state is something similar but much weaker than what Dwight says happens when that nectar is distilled. In that form, it can be injected into Killers and mutate us, transform us into something stronger, faster and more bloodthirsty than we already are.

I don’t feel any different but according to the others, I’m not glowing orange like I was earlier. Fortunately, the effects of that little pinch of nectar have worn off since before. Looking up into the sky; I could see the clouds that held that storm were slowly making their way over here, further proof that the Realms were falling apart. The moon was an enchanting orange that cast that light down over us all, making the sky look this deep maroon color but no stars to be seen.

“So, you can’t hear or feel anything from us anymore Suze?” Julie asks and I glance back over my shoulder, listening.

“Yeah, after Frank broke my pin, it was like whatever kept us tethered had been broken too. It’s still strange, not just _knowing_ how you guys are feeling or knowing everything you know.” She says quietly, seeming to mull it over in her head still.

The abrupt sound of a murder taking flight fires adrenaline through my veins and I pull my knife, feeling that tension spark its way through the group behind me. I glance back again and see that the rest of the group reacted the same way, all tensed and ready to run or fight.

Dwight telling me about the crows before now set me on edge, I was never particularly fond of those birds but them turning against the Survivors like that was something I wasn’t excited to deal with. Fortunately, the birds were flying away…not coming after us.

Joey, Julie and Susie all had their knives out while Claudette, Meg and Dwight had huddled next to Jake; leaving Quentin standing there looking lost and confused.

“Um…why is everyone freaked out? It’s just the crows.” He says and starts walking forward again, passing me as we all deflate and pick up pace behind him.

This was a bigger group than I was used to but that didn’t mean we had the safety of numbers, which made me uncomfortable. Our positioning had been all over the place since leaving Springwood. Now Quentin was leading us along in an almost straight line. If we got attacked, we’d be at a bit of a disadvantage since the only ones armed are somewhat bundled at the back of the group.

“Ok, I think we need to change our positioning a little bit.” My voice brings the group to a stop and we bunch up together, surrounding me. “We know where The Killers are but Michael and Adiris were left to their own devices so we need to operate under the impression that they might be looking for us.” I say and Claudette raises her hand.

“Question, are we going to have to worry about Freddy again?” she asks and I ponder the idea when Julie answers first.

“I honestly don’t know. We’re still healing from our wounds but I’m not sure how long it would take for him to come back from being burnt to dust.” She says and Susie interjects.

“But incinerated cells can’t regenerate, so if he’s been completely burned…he couldn’t come back, right?” she offers.

“That’s true, maybe The Entity can’t help that if someone is destroyed on a cellular level.” Meg adds.

“Still, I think we should change how we’re walking. Legion, lets form a diamond around The Survivors. Julie and Susie, you’ll flank them and Joey will take the rear.” Susie snickers as she moves to her place.

“He usually does.” She’s met with a swift slap to her ass and she lets out a high pitch squeak and giggles as she scurries to her position on my left.

“After this is done, I’ll remind you why you enjoy it so much babe.” Joey promises and I smile as I turn front and start forward again, hiding my own apprehension at his words.

 _There may not **be** an after this…_ I think to myself but refuse to share that with him, I don’t want to dampen his confidence; we’ll need it if we want to see the end of this night.

Our formation has me at the front, Julie on my right, Susie on my left and Joey at the back. Claudette, Jake, Meg, Quentin and Dwight were bunched together in the middle of us, looking out into the woods around us every so often. I heard someone speed up behind me on my right and I looked to see Dwight keeping pace beside me.

“So, what is this plan of yours? We’re not gonna have to hurt (f/n), right?” he asks and I lose my smile.

“Hope not,” I say and his eyes get wide. “What do you want me to say? I’m not going to lie to you, she might have to get hurt because this thing has taken over her body. She’s Wicked’s target for some reason and we have to help her get free of its hold…I’m just worried that the only way I can do that…is to Mori her.” I’m stopped as Dwight pulls my arm back and I turn to look at him. His face is pale and the rest of the group has also stopped.

“ _That’s_ your plan?!!! You’re going to kill her?!!” He frets loudly and I grab his hand on my forearm.

“Listen, you remember what Trapper said. Wicked was only able to possess her because her will to survive was weakened…because of me. I think if I Mori her, it’ll be like hitting the reset button on her body. ‘Relentless’ will activate and she’ll remain in the Trial but she’ll recover completely like before.”

“You can’t possibly think that’s a good idea,” Julie says and comes over to me, Claudette following beside her. “I know what you’re trying to do, you’re trying to isolate (f/n) and Wicked together in the same body!”

“Wait…What?! Why!!!?” Dwight gasps and I bite my bottom lip.

_What the fuck are you doing Julie?!_

_Keeping you from making the same mistake twice, you need to trust him and tell him the truth!_

Jeez…those green eyes of hers scared me before and they’re even scarier now that they’ve seen more bloodshed.

“Frank, tell me why!” Dwight pleads and I relent.

“If I can Mori (f/n) and we force the body to fall still…their souls inside might have to duke it out for who gains control when she wakes up.” I say and Dwight grabs the front of my shirt, shaking me.

“With the way things were left, she won’t see that as a reset button, she’ll only see that as another nail in the coffin for how you seemingly played her.” He pleads but I shake my head.

“I think you’re underestimating her!” I argue but he hardens his stare at me.

“I’m not saying that she isn’t strong enough, I’m saying that she may not be strong enough _right now_ to fight off Wicked. She’s had her heart broken, she’s been dragged away from the one place she felt safe and left behind a life she struggled to build up for herself. She got dropped into a place where she had to run from monsters and ended up letting them use her body as they pleased because she wanted to protect us! She’s mentally exhausted Frank, to try and put more strain on her is a gamble at best and her soul is the price we pay if she fails!”

“You have yet to give me any better suggestions so until you do, this is the only way I see that we can-” I’m cut off by him digging his fist into the side of my face. I’m so caught off guard by this that I fall and land flat on my back.

There’s total silence all around us as everyone is so shocked that they can’t move. I sit up and look up at him, he’s shaking out his fist but he’s still glaring at me, despite the tears coming to his eyes.

“I’m not going to let you take a gamble with (f/n)’s life like you did with Susie’s!” he says and I feel that arrow stick hard in my chest.

“Ouch…” Joey says as they watch us from afar, knowing without me saying so to stay out of this.

“Do you have any better ideas, yes or no? Wicked is not going to let (f/n) go without a fight and the only one who can for sure push her out is (f/n)! We have to give her the chance to fight back because right now, Wicked is drowning her soul in her insecurities and keeping her pacified while she runs the show!” I start but he shakes his head, quickly wiping the tears from his face.

“You haven’t seen what she can do, what Wicked is capable of. She’s not just some Killer here, she’s some sort of monster built from this place…there’s something special about her in the worst way just like there’s something special about (f/n) in the best way. The worst and best thing I’ve ever seen are currently sharing a body, I won’t let you play fast and loose with the body because you think your way is the only way!” he says and I feel the passion in his heart.

I admire that about him, his devotion to her is incredible but he’s blinded by trying to protect her. She literally is her own worst enemy right now, trying to keep her safe from the outside just won’t work. I don’t even know if my idea will work because he’s right about one thing, the way she takes my actions will certainly affect the outcome. If she takes it like I’m just trying to hurt her again, it puts her into a state of depravity that I can’t allow again. However, if she understands that I’m there to help…it might give her the confidence she needs to push Wicked out of her body and regain control.

I’d like to think she can destroy it all together but I know nothing about how this thing came to be so I have no idea how she would end up being destroyed to begin with.

I stand up and dust myself off, walking up to him calmly as the throbbing in my cheek fades. He falters as I draw near and I point at my cheek, seeming to confuse him.

“Ahem…” I start and he turns a bright shade of red as he casts a nervous glance around to the others.

While my people snicker at us, he just stares on in suspended fright.

“What?! Frank, do you really think this is the best time?” he asks and I just wait.

He watches me for a few short moments, testing to see if I’m serious…which I am. The blush on his face darkens as he huffs then plants a quick peck on my cheek. I smile at him as he starts needing his hands together in his nervous way.

“Listen to me, you’re not alone in this. I’m worried beyond explanation for (f/n), I know you want to protect her but how are we supposed to help her while also hurting her at the same time. They’re in the same body, we can’t hurt one without hurting the other, besides; look at everything she’s been through. I firmly believe that if we put them in a room together-Wicked and (f/n)-that she would find a way to win. She’s tired yes but that’s never stopped her before, you’re already risking everyone’s lives by trying to starve The Entity…even if we set her free…we may all die tonight…for real this time.”

His upset seems to deflate and I pull him into my chest, hugging him tight as he shudders his tears away.

“She may have become one of you but remember, her tenacity is what brought The Entity to her. She’s got a Killer Instinct deep inside her, she uses it when she needs to survive…and she will again.” I say and he looks up at me. “It’ll take more than some homegrown bitch with a sadistic streak to take our girl down, don’t you think?” I say with a smile and his gaze softens on me.

His eyes seeming to sparkle when there’s an unnatural shimmer in the irises. Something is behind me!

I pull him close to my chest and turn around, my knife at the ready and see what appears to be the outline of a massive building before us, lights topping almost every corner. Their light is slowly growing as the fog seems to be receding from us.

The air around us is slowly growing more frigid and I can feel Dwight shiver as he curls a little closer to my body. This chill wasn’t like the bite of winter air, but it was certainly colder than just a moment ago.

The image of this massive structure came into view, revealing that among all the lights and windows, the roof was topped off with satellite dishes and radio towers. It seemed like there was a massive pile of debris off to the side of it and the few trees that dotted this area were the same autumn colors of the Survivor Forest.

It looked like a massive school or hospital but the overturned van in front of it clearly marked this place for what it was. Hawkins National Laboratory…the new map.

“This is it; this is where (f/n) is. She’s inside somewhere.” I say when something tangy in the air catches my attention.

Through the pungent smell of the Pustula’s, something with more of a ‘stuck in the back of your throat’ taste to it wafts around us now that the fog has cleared. “Does anyone else smell that?”

“Sea salt…salt water. The ocean!” Susie says when there’s a loud crash and I can see the black waves of The Void crashing on the muddy shore.

The fog was fleeing over the waters surface, the massive body of water was revealed to us and I guess also revealed the sound as the roar of those waves sprayed the lightest of mists over us. The feeling of those tiny drops hitting my face felt like tiny needles with how cold they were and my eyes stung a bit. I never was a big fan of the ocean.

The water was black and the foam at the crest of each wave was purple in color. The foam left behind on the shore was lavender in look but quickly dissipated as the next wave crashed over it.

Despite part of me expecting sand to edge this place, I only saw the sloped dirt from the forest. Instead of a steady gradient into the ocean, it was a steep cliff-like drop off into the water. The only thing that seemed to keep the land from eroding away and swallowing up the lab and the forest…was the water itself.

The land remained the same but the few trees that had sunk into the water and whose roots were submerged in it, were pale white and cracked like massive statues. Joey walked up to one, seeming to ignore the water sloshing around his feet and stabbed his knife into the trunk of it. We watched it crack apart and fall into the water, splashing purple foam up at his legs.

“What the hell is this? The Void?” he asks, slowly making his way back over to us.

“Yup, when I rescued (f/n) from it before…it was like a massive graveyard near the bottom. There are tons of bodies down there, all just like that,” I point at the tree he just decimated. “Concrete looking and seemingly scared to death. I guess that’s what becomes of you when The Entity drains you for all you’re worth.” I say, feeling that same solemnness in my chest as I recalled the hellish image of that thing in the depths of The Void; trying to drag us down to it.

“That’s so creepy!” Meg shudders audibly when Joey returns to us.

“It’s not normal water though, that’s for sure. It felt like it was trying to drag me away and I was only so deep in it.” He says as she pats his knees to shake the salt from them.

“I’d advise against going for a swim man, I think that’s what called (f/n) away back at the resort. I don’t think you want to feed yourself to The Entity tonight, right?” I say and he nods at me, his brown eyes betraying how foolish he felt despite his face remaining the same stoic image I was accustomed too.

“But wait, if The Entity has revealed itself back at our camp, then it wouldn’t be down there…right?” Julie muses aloud and I take her words into consideration.

“That’s true…it wouldn’t be out there right now. I’d suggest we go for a swim to look around but I don’t think there’s anything down there for us, nothing useful anyways.” I say and Joey continues shaking out his pants, complaining.

“Jesus, now my legs are cold!” My laugh is cut short by someone calling out.

“Hey, come look at this!” Jake’s voice reaches us from not too far.

Without the fog to obstruct our vision, we were able to see him and Susie standing beside the wreckage of Kate’s truck!

The baby blue truck had been turned over onto its side with a massive dent in the passenger’s side. Something huge had slammed into it and turned it over. The windshield had been shattered and there were a few holes in it that showed where someone tried to get into it.

“Oh my God!” I say and step away from Dwight.

“There are scrapes and broken glass here by the driver’s side window; the girls must have crawled their way out and fled.” Jake says, pointing to the clearly disturbed dirt by the truck.

“That’s not all, look here.” Julie says and points to a deep groove in the dirt leading from the water, clearly drag marks. “Something dragged itself from the water…from The Void.”

Looking closer, I can see the marks of fingers digging into the dirt and pulling her body along to get free of the water. Evan did say she somehow escaped…I guess this was how she did it.

“So…this is how she got out. Wicked must have attacked the truck once it landed here, that would explain the dents and how she got a hold of (f/n).”

“Um…does Wicked have big claws?” Claudette asks and we all go over to see a massive footprint in the mud, not human in the slightest.

Huge compared to each of us, five claws that dug deep into the dirt. It looked unlike anything I think I’d ever seen before; be it monster or human…but whatever it was it was huge.

“Not if I’m remembering right…” I muse when Dwight looks up at me. “I’ll explain on our way, let’s find a way inside.”

**(F/N)**

After being wrapped up so tightly and letting myself sink into my own self-pity…I started to dream. It was like watching that whole ordeal take place all over again and seeing my dad on the floor, bleeding from his chest and then my mothers body slumped in the corner.

I knew that those images were pieces of my past that I could never forget, but that didn’t mean I wanted to see them as vividly as I could right now!! I felt as if I was at the bottom of a pool, I’d held onto a rock and let it take me all the way down to the bottom and I just sat there, looking up as the light around me quickly faded into black.

The rock…was obviously a metaphor for how guilty I felt about it. I was so broken up about it after the cops explained to me what happened and just how obsessed with me Gerald was. He would have gone to any lengths to see me again and while no one outwardly said it, I knew that the blame was mine.

If I had kept to myself and not spoken to him or accepted his gifts…he would have given up and moved on from me. I brought that hell down on my family and I lost everything because I was so stupid!

_(f/n)_

What, who is that?! That voice…sounds so familiar.

_(f/n)…why are you crying?_

Wait…this is…Joseph?

_You can’t blame yourself for that. He was a sick man who did a horrible thing, you didn’t make him kill your parents._

But if I hadn’t talked to him…he would have left us alone.

_Are you sure? Can you say 100% that he would have?_

Well…no…

_He might have done what he did no matter what you did and if he didn’t do it to your family, he would have done it to someone else’s family. The world has bad people in it that wanna hurt others. We’re the good people who want to help others. I wanna help you…we go to the same school so if you live with me, you don’t have to move so far away._

Joseph…he’s the one that extended his hand when I was about to be left to strangers. He and his family helped me, they taught me to swim so I could return to the surface and take a big gulp of fresh air!

Even after Jack attacked me and left me for dead…they stood by me and helped me as much as they could while I recovered. They even offered me my old room but I was determined to stand on my own, to not sink to the bottom again and this time, keep myself afloat without help.

I wanted to prove I could be strong, I wanted to prove that I wouldn’t let what happened control me…so I fought. I fought with everything I had to pull myself back from the darkest part of my thoughts and thrive in the light.

Gerald was the one responsible for my pain and he paid for it with his life…I made sure of that. He was the monster who brought the darkness into my world but I fought back and won.

As if I’d been resurrected from it, I found myself gasping for air on the floor of what looked like my old house…my childhood home. I quickly took a survey of my own body and was still dressed in the blue long sleeve and white shorts I’d had on to start, save for the ripped sleeve from when Nancy slapped me. Despite my body feeling especially heavy, as if my clothes were weighed down with water…I was dry as a bone, hell I was a bit thirsty too.

I stood up and looked around, seeing that it was exactly as I’d remembered it, nice furnishings and a big brick and mortar fireplace in the living room with a family portrait on the mantel. Something about my home was different though…something was bleak and lifeless about it. There was a gold chandelier hanging from the ceiling that was covered with cobwebs and a few of the candle shaped bulbs were broken or just gone completely. Some of our furniture had been broken into pieces and left in piles of debris around my home. The wall paper peeled in a few spots and my house had looked like it went years and years without maintenance. Instead of aging like fine wine, it appeared as if my home had aged like milk.

Ah, now I see. The Entity had pulled this place from my memories and given it a special touch to fit into its world. I guess it jumped the gun because I never became a Killer…maybe that’s why there was this nauseating feeling about this place.

I looked towards the front door and felt my stomach drop into my feet.

My fathers’ body was laying there on the floor, blood pooled around his body and he was paler than a ghost. Even though it shouldn’t be, the blood was still fresh and bright red. I felt goosebumps rise up all over my skin as I realized that if he was here…mom was upstairs then.

Why am I waking up in this? Why was I back in this house again? I didn’t even wanna come back after the police had cleaned everything up and said it was mine at eighteen.

“You can’t be serious?” I hear from all around me.

“Who’s there?!” I ask when I see water seeming to pour in from the upstairs bathroom, waterfalling through the banister and into the living room.

The water seemed to be filling my house rather quickly and before I knew it, I was at least an inch deep in the water; cold, clear…water.

“Don’t worry, its just us here.” She says and I feel myself shiver as I look at this warped image of myself.

She was naked and her skin was pale but her eyes were big and blacked out completely. Her mouth stretched from ear to ear and her teeth were that of a shark, seeming to line her mouth and giving her a sinister smile. She slowly walked towards the stairs and I could see that her hair, long and trailing behind her was pushing more water over the edge of the second level.

“What’s going on?” I asked, feeling a strange sense of familiarity from her.

“Well, you compared your guilt to a rock dragging you to the bottom of a pool…figured I’d be nice and bring the pool to you.” She says and gestures at my house.

“What the hell do you want from me? Why are you here?”

“I’m taking back the body that should have been mine. I wasn’t supposed to come here…well, not alone at least.” She says with a smirk down at me.

“What the hell are you talking about? Where did you come from?” I ask and she stops at the top of the stairs.

“My origins were already discussed, were you not listening when I answered Nancy’s questions?” she asks, sounding somewhat annoyed by it.

“I know what you said…but you left out a few very important details, didn’t you?” I say and she quirks an eyebrow at me.

“How do you know?”

“Call it instinct,” I sneer but I can feel my own uncertainty in the back of my mind.

I can feel in my bones that she kept a few key details from Nancy when she talked to her, it felt like watching a movie that I couldn’t pause. I could just tell in the way she spoke to Nancy, the overconfidence in her voice…she kept something from her.

“Of course, I should know better than to assume I’m the only one who benefits from this. I can feel everything that you can feel, we’re connected.” She points at me, drawing an invisible line between us.

“I guess that’s true since you inhabit my body now. I was able to find out one thing before my nap, you have a Curse now thanks to me. You have your own power but you can’t use it because of me!”

She crosses her arms and taps her bottom lip with her index finger. “Hmm, not too shabby (f/n), but do you know _why_ I can’t access my powers?” she asks and I falter.

“Well...” I feel my confidence wane slightly.

I may have been able to call on the whispers before to answer that for me but they were completely silent now. Of course, now that I could actually use them to help me, they’re no longer present.

“No?” she asks as she starts down the stairs towards me. “I look like you, I sound like you, I may not act like you but I certainly feel how you want to act. You want to get far away from this place, run far away and _fast_ …I can help you do that…if you want.” She says and reaches out a hand to me. “I can keep you in a place far away from this hurt and protect you from it,”

I started up the stairs towards her, my feet feeling frozen as they leave the water. “Why would you want to help me? You’ve done nothing but hurt everyone else that you’ve met through my body…why help _me_?” I ask as I draw near and she stops two steps away from me, prompting me to stop as well.

“Because…all I ever do is cause people pain and while that brings _me_ joy, I like to mix it up every once and a while. If I become predictable, where’s the fun in that?” she says and waits patiently with her hand still outstretched to me.

I considered everything I had just decided…I mean, I’ve always wanted to hide from the pain in my history. She seemed to be offering me that chance now, to hide me from all the hurt I’ve struggled to accept. If I don’t have to deal with it…why would I?

_(f/n)_

I hear Joseph’s voice in my head again and her eyebrows raise as her soft gaze on me changes to a glare.

“I see…you still seem to have a little fight in you.” She retracts her hand and bares her sharp teeth down at me. “That’s fine…I’m still in control here!”

I rush up those two steps keeping us apart and grab her wrist, startling her.

“This is _my_ body!! I’m in control!!” I say but she just pushes me away from her, throwing me off the stairs completely.

I miss all the steps and I hit the floor hard, my head bouncing and the water seems to have risen enough that my head is half submerged.

“Sorry bitch, you gave me control out of your heartbroken mind and there’s no way in **_hell_** that I’m giving it back.”

Her voice seemed to reverberate through the whole house and I couldn’t fight my brains longing to sink into sleep. Despite my desire to stand up and fight her…I sank into the floor and succumbed to the darkness once again.

_Damn it_

**WICKED**

Hmm…I guess I underestimated her too much. I wouldn’t have gotten so close if she was going to just grab me like that. She almost got back…that was way too close. She still has too much fight in her for me to push her out completely.

That’s fine…I’m a patient girl…I’ll just have to hold her in her own sadness until she’s weak enough for me to force her out.

Returning to reality, I hear the tiniest of crinkles as Nancy steps on a piece of debris nearby and I feel life raise my hair up and the locks slither out like snakes; searching for her.

The hall I was in was somewhat obstructed by a stack of plastic travel containers and metal barrels. The white washed walls had a few tendrils of the Demogorgon plastered to them. This place had seen so much pain and anguish…it permeated the air and filled me with a sense of comfort.

“Nancy,” I call out and just as my tendrils knock those oil barrels far down the hall, revealing Nancy’s hiding place behind them and knocking her to her back.

She scrambles to her feet and starts running down the hall, dodging the barrels and containers as they bounce against the walls. I start towards her when my hair manages to snatch her right leg out from under her and she barely gets her hands in front of her fast enough to keep from busting her face on the floor as I drag her back.

“Now, now…don’t run little-GAH!” I gag harshly as I feel this strange tightness in my scalp, forcing me to my knees.

What is…?! I gasp for air as it feels as if I’m drowning, the darkness edges around my vision as I feel her forcing her way through my barriers!

No…how is she able? She should still be drowning in her guilt…there’s no way she’s…wait. That voice…Joseph. That little fucker!! He’s the source of her strength!!! Damn it all!!!

My arms feel heavy and I fall to my knees, looking up and seeing Nancy struggling against my hair on the floor as (f/n) wrenches control from me.

“Nancy…” She manages, despite my resistance making her sound like she smoked eight packs a day. “Run…I don’t know if I’ll be able to protect you next time she finds you! Hurry!” She pleads as Nancy stands up and amazingly runs towards me.

“What about you?!” she offers her hands to me but (f/n) pushes them away.

“Finish the generators and get outside!! Find Dwight and tell him what you know!” she manages when I use my arm to snatch at her own mouth.

Admittedly looking very strange as (f/n) seems to punch herself in the jaw, making her teeth cut into her cheek and forcing me to taste her blood. I delight in the ire on my tongue but I’ll just have to be patient for now. Nancy turns and runs away, disappearing around the corner at the end of the hall. Only then was I able to regain control of my body and I looked down at my hands…shocked.

“I see…your persistence was cute to begin with but now you’re just annoying. Now that I know what drives you, I’ll just have to hit you where it hurts.” I say and I can feel (f/n) throwing herself against the walls of her mind, trying to force herself out again but the fear and hysteria is still rising.

She’ll drown eventually, I just need to keep her submerged until then and I’ll have this body for myself once again. I will _never_ be a forgotten story again.

**FRANK**

I was currently laying on my back as I listened to Jake smashing a rock against the glass windows. The glass will partially shatter only to quickly undo all the damage he just caused and it did that with every _fucking_ strike!

“I think we can stop now…we need to find another way to get in since busting in a window isn’t going to work.” I say as I glare angrily at the harvest moon above us.

I hear the rock tumble across the ground and I sit up to see Jake sit down with the rest of the group, visibly sweating as he pushes his scarf up over his face.

“I can’t remember the last time I put that much effort into trying to open a damn window.” Julie says as she wipes the sweat from her brow.

Each of us tried with all our might to break a window, pick a lock or find an opening to get inside but every possible way we could get in was blocked up or undone. The ventilation shafts were even blocked off by The Entity to keep us from sneaking in that way!

“You’re telling me…even as that bitch is starving to death, she’s keeping us out of the Trials.” I complain, laying back again.

“She? Why do you assume The Entity is a woman?” Susie asks, sounding slightly offended but I just cast her a squinty eyed look.

“Have you ever met any guy calculated enough to run something for this long and it not crash and burn?” I ask and her grey eyes get big. “Exactly, I don’t even care that I sound sexist as fuck. Truth hurts,”

“He would know a little bit about crashing and burning,” Joey quips but Julie punches him in the shoulder and he almost yelps like a dog. “Pissed because it’s true?!”

“That’s a low blow and you know it!” she snaps.

“Guys, if we could get back on topic?” Meg says and we fall quiet. “How are we going to get in, the Trial is well underway and The Entity is keeping us out…rather effectively at that. How can we help when we can’t even get inside?”

Meg’s words start ringing in my head…how can we help from the outside?

“We can’t…” I say aloud and I’m met with a lot of shocked stares.

“That’s not exactly uplifting.” Jake says when I look at the window that he’d been smashing with a rock.

“No, that’s just it. We can’t do jack shit from the outside to help them and The Entity doesn’t want us to get in.” I stand up and cast a look up at the building. “We can’t play by the typical rules to get in…we’ve got to do something outlandish. (f/n) got the rules changed because she played differently than anyone else! That’s what gets things changed, The Entity may be all powerful but its weak right now! This is the perfect opportunity to turn the tides in our favor!”

“Frank, what are you talking about?” Joey asks, standing up.

“The Entity had to change the rules because (f/n) was changing the game, no one had done the things she did before so it had to make adjustments to this place. If we do things we wouldn’t normally do, The Entity is too weak to stop us!”

“And what exactly do you propose we do?” Julie asks, also standing up with me.

“We’re gonna need some help. Anyone among your people know cars?” I ask and Dwight drops his face in his hands.

“Yes…yes we do…but I don’t like what you’re planning.” He says and I smile.

“You will,”

**DWIGHT**

The travel times between our new camp and the line were shortened greatly thanks to Joey. He presented the idea that he would run back to our camp and carry her here. Sure enough, he returned carrying Feng on his back, who had the worlds biggest shit eating grin on her face when he set her down. In contrast, he did not look at all pleased.

“What’s wrong?” I asked but Julie and Frank began loudly guffawing as Joey seemed to stew in his own frustration, while Susie watched them and smiled widely.

Feng ended up answering me. “When he showed up at our new camp unannounced, everyone freaked out because they forgot about our discussion earlier about which Killers are safe now. Joey ended up getting a bunch of trash thrown at him before they remembered that you guys are friendly.”

“Don’t forget how you basically back seat drove the entire way back here.” He complained as he rejoined Frank who was leaning against Kate’s totaled truck.

Frank and Julie were red in the face as they tried to keep their laughter back while Joey cast them cold stares.

“Oh, I didn’t back seat drive, I just gave you some direction since you were going in a wide circle.” She says, crossing her arms. “The fastest way from point A to point B is a straight line, it makes no sense for you to have taken such a long route.”

“Ok listen, I went in a wide circle because there’s this huge army of crows in the middle of the woods! If you’d rather saunter on through them, you can be my guest!” Joey yells but Feng looks unphased as she glares at him.

“Right, didn’t realize The Legion was scared of a few birdies.” She quips and Julie silences Joey before he can argue any further.

One thing they didn’t know about Feng…she’s kind of an asshole. Her competitive nature was a good thing in some regard but it also gave her a little bit of a superiority complex and she tended to not be the nicest person. She’d catch herself sometimes when she’d hurt someone’s feelings but knocking people down a peg was something, she seemed to pride herself in.

“So, Joey says you need me to look at a…” she starts when she turns to see Kate’s truck. Joey gives a half hearted ‘lovely assistant’ gesture at the truck as if he were presenting it to Feng.

“Um…what the hell happened to Kate’s truck?” she asks as she draws near to it.

“We don’t have time to go over that. If we flip this back upright, can you fix it and get it running?” I ask and she goes over to it.

She looks at the undercarriage before looking over at me. “That depends…are we going to need to stop suddenly?”

“No…” I say and she gains this devious smile as she stands up straight and leans against the truck.

“Perfect then, help me flip it.”

The actual process of flipping the truck wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Once we got it rocking, we managed to use that momentum and got the truck back on its wheels, the front right of which was deflated.

“Ok, now what?” I ask and Feng wasted no time rushing around to the front and opening the hood.

“I’m going to check it out and see if its ready to run but other than that, it should be fine. What are you planning to do with it?” she asks and I turn to look at the building, my eyes finding the glass double doors to the front of it.

“We’re going to drive into the Trial.” I say and she stutters in her movements.

“Um…say that one more time…” she asks as she continues to check the engine.

“You heard him,” Frank says and puts an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to him. “We’re going to use this thing like a massive metal battering ram to get into the Trial. You’re welcome to stay here if you’re scared-”

Feng suddenly turns towards us with a sharp metal wire in her hand, pointing it at Frank who falls silent.

“If you think fear is going to keep me from busting up a Trial, you don’t know me very well…Frank.” She sneers his name before returning to the truck and Julie steps up beside us with her mouth hanging open.

“I think I just got a wicked les-boner for her…” she says and I just stare.

“Yes!” Joey suddenly jumps to stand on the roof of the cab and Susie’s eyes sparkle as she watches him. “We’re going to bust into that damn place and kick up more shit than this place has ever seen!! Feels like being back home again but there’s no fucking snowmen everywhere!!”

Susie claps for him and Joey hoots and hollers into the sky while I feel a little apprehension in my chest and I move away from Frank. As I walk a short distance from the group, I undo the top button of my shirt and shake the collar lightly to get some air into my shirt, for some reason I’m finding it hard to breathe. I lean against a tree and take long breaths as I see Frank has followed me over here. We were no longer within earshot of the others, the only thing keeping them in the back of my mind was the sound of Joey’s voice echoing over the land as he hollered at the moon.

“Dwight, you Ok?” he asks, lowering his hood and looking down at me, his blue and brown eyes captivating me.

I turn my eyes away and he steps up beside me, I can still feel his eyes are on me and its making the goosebumps on my skin raise up.

“Yeah…just a little overwhelmed. I’m not very good at stepping out of my comfort zone...Quentin put it perfectly before. I’ve gotten so complacent in this place that the idea of leaving it is…scary.” I let out a bitter laugh and lower my gaze to the ground.

Frank’s warm hand on my neck brings me to look up at him and he presses his forehead against mine, lightly pushing my glasses down on my nose. His forehead is sweaty and his hair is tangled up with mine, the black locks mixing with his chestnut hair.

“Of course, it is, you’ve been here for how long? I think that its about time for a change, I’m tired of this same song and dance routine every night…aren’t you?” he says and pushes me against the tree by my shoulders. This dark gleam coming into his eyes makes my heart race and a fire in my stomach sparks to life. “I’d much rather spend my nights wrapped up with you and (f/n) …don’t you agree?”

He then kisses me hard on my mouth and I feel myself melt against him. His rough lips push mine open and his tongue is like fire in my mouth, tasting like peppermint and sending chills up my back. He lets his hands slide off my shoulders and steps up between my feet, pressing his chest against mine.

My head starts to swim when I hear the crash of the waves nearby and shake my head to stop the kiss. The look in his eyes though as I catch my breath show that he has no intention of stopping just yet.

“Frank, the others are right over there!” I whisper but he just answers by pressing his body flush against my hips and I can feel how…pent up he is.

“Yeah and we’re fighting to potentially die. I’m not going to leave the world of the living without having fucked you at least once.” He says and I feel my heart do double time.

“Frank, this is really not the time for this!” I try but he suddenly presses his thigh against my crotch and I shiver as that ferocious friction he causes.

“Funny, your body is telling me a different story.” He growls against my cheek as I turn my face away.

I’m trying really hard not to get swept up in this but I can’t help it, I want him so badly that its probably illegal somewhere. That thought however, only makes me want him more.

“Guys!” Meg yells and I feel my face explode with embarrassment, effectively killing my boner!

_Saved by Meg!_

Frank sighs, resting the top of his head against my chest before glaring over his shoulder.

“What? Can’t you see I’m busy?” he says and she just scoffs at him.

“Yeah…zip it up and get over here. Feng says the truck is fine and Joey wants to drive.” She then turns and goes back over to the others, leaving Frank and I as we are.

I’m still pinned against the tree and Frank is still glaring over his shoulder at where Meg had walked away. He then turns back to me and kisses my lips much softer than a moment ago and looks into my eyes with the sultriest and sexiest look I’ve ever seen on a man.

“I mean what I said, I’m not dying without sharing love with you at least once.” He says against my mouth and I can’t help the raging boner I’m now sporting when he suddenly lets me go and the darkness in his eyes vanishes. “Come on, we better get back to the others before Joey goes joyriding.”

I just slide to the dirt and look after him as he goes, contemplating all the life choices I made that lead me to where I am now.

Shaking my head, I pull myself together and rush over to rejoin the others who are now standing beside the truck. Joey was sitting in the driver’s seat and the truck was running, waving at me as I walked over.

“So…how are we going to do this?” he asks and I can see Susie is beside him inside the cab.

“We need to drive through those doors, that’s the only way I can see us getting inside the building.” Frank says as he loads in next to Susie and practically squashes Joey into the driver’s side door.

“But…do you actually expect all of us to fit inside the cab?” Meg asks when I blink and Julie has vanished.

“Well, three of us will fit into one spot and then we have Susie…room for two more, three if we squeeze.” He says when Joey gets this look on his face and he fades into Frank’s body.

“I think we are better off if only some of us go in while the others go back to The Survivor Forest.” I say and I start towards the passenger’s side of the truck.

“Dwight, so who’s going with you then?” Claudette asks, glossing over the fact that she herself did _not_ want to go.

I didn’t blame her; she’s pushed through a lot of her personal boundaries for us and for all that, I was grateful.

“I guess that answers that.” Meg responds when I realize that Jake is standing beside the door, waiting for me to load up.

Once I’m in the truck and Jake is sliding in beside me, I can see that we are sending Feng, Meg, Claudette and Quentin back to the camp without us. I knew that this was risky because only two of us would be present but it would also lower the risk, we’d already taken by bringing four of us in here to start with.

I’m scared beyond belief of what may happen to them while they go back but I know it’s better this way. Quentin, Meg and Claudette can recover completely from the crows and Freddy. I wish to some degree that Jake would go with them but he wouldn’t even if I begged.

“Please be careful you guys, Jake…” Feng asks and he rolls down the window as she comes up to the window. “What do you want me to tell Nea? She’s not going to say so aloud but she’s worried sick about you,” she says and I can see Jakes jaw tighten as he considers what to say.

“I’ll see her soon,” he says and Feng furrows her brow before stepping back.

“Good luck,” Claudette calls out.

Frank pulls the truck up in front of the doors we want to enter and starts backing up until the rear of the truck is up against the line of trees behind us.

I feel Susie wrap her arms around Franks torso and he holds her close. Jake and I just squeeze each other’s hands, the rough leather of his gloves pinching my palm but I don’t let go.

“So…to think we might actually die tonight…it’s pretty scary. I’ll be real with you though, I’m glad I met you Dwight.” Jake says and I look over to him, seeing a smile on his face.

“I’m glad I met you too Jake, if I may be so bold, I think you’re my best friend.” I say and he scoffs, confusing me at first when he squeezes my hand tighter.

“No way, we’re brothers’ man. We’ve seen too much together to just be friends.” He says and I nod before taking a deep breath as Frank revs the engine.

“Ready guys?” he asks and we all brace ourselves when he guns the accelerant and we start speeding right towards the building.

It happens quickly, the glass doors shatter and fly up around us as if we were taking a quantum leap and the metal frames of the doors scraped loudly against the outside of the truck, causing an earsplitting noise that had me squinting my eyes in pain and then just before us, we saw this monster of a thing in the bland halls of this place. I couldn’t even comprehend what I saw as Susie screamed and everything suddenly went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these updates are coming a little slow, I'm currently in the process of finding a new job and moving to a new city. (Ew...adulting)  
> I hope you guys enjoy this next update! <3


	4. (f/n) and Wicked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breaking into the Trial proved more difficult but Wicked and The Demogorgon are roaming the halls still. (f/n) is still trapped and while the world around them continues to fall apart, the battle for true survival...has only just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

**DWIGHT**

“Dwight!” someone’s voice echoed in my head, the syllables of my name bouncing off the walls of my skull.

Opening my eyes was a battle since it seemed they were weighed down by sandbags. My chest felt like it was full of rocks, my limbs felt weightless; black murky clouds had replaced all my bones and muscles. I felt cold all over and a dull ache from the back of my neck, some form of whiplash must have disabled my whole body. I could tell that my limbs weren’t responding to my attempts at moving…I was completely paralyzed…or…was I dead? Is this what _real_ death felt like? A cold, powerless state that enticed you to just sink into this black, inky void?

As much as I felt some deep-rooted part of me trying to give into the dark mist that filled my body, I kept seeing flashes of (f/n)’s face. Her smile, her laugh, her long (h/c) hair, her soft skin, her wide hopeful (e/c) eyes that lit up every time she saw me.

I wanted to see her smile again, I wanted to hold her in my arms again, I wanted to see her and Frank reconcile and everything be Ok with us. I could feel something warm in the back of my neck and just as quickly as I noticed the heat, the chilling fog under my skin began to fade.

“Damn it, Dwight! Wake up!!” Jake’s voice suddenly got much clearer, like a leathery slap to the face; the weight was shaken from my eyes and they popped open. Oh…wait, no…he slapped me.

I couldn’t see very clearly but I could tell from the blurry colors before me that it was indeed Jake looking at me. “Welcome back buddy, thought we really lost you for a minute.”

“Ow…” I replied while rubbing my cheek, not moving as he suddenly pushed my glasses onto my face.

“At least I took your glasses off first.” He says and I nod, fixing my glasses.

Once my eyes adjusted again, my jaw dropped at the vision that lie before me. The two metal doors that we’d driven through lay mangled and bent a few feet ahead of the truck. There looked to be two bodies laying further beyond the doors and one had been pushed away from its final resting place; smearing the blood puddle it once sat in. The white linoleum floors almost seemed new with the way they shone under the bland and buzzing lights above.

“Come on, this thing looks totaled.” Jake says and offers me his hand.

My legs feel like jelly as I stepped out of the truck but I managed to keep myself up. Looking behind me, I could see the truck was scraped pretty badly from our dramatic entrance, Kate was going to kill us if nothing else did first. I found Frank and Susie standing in front of the massive hole we’d left in the wall now that the doors were gone.

That hole was covered with black, humming spines that usually built the barrier at the Exit Gates. It made up _Blood Warden_ walls if we were hooked late in the Trial and protected us from Killers trying to follow us beyond its borders.

“Well,” Frank starts, looking smug and proud of himself. “Guess it didn’t expect the mice to drive through the walls.”

“I thought we were the cats?” Susie says and Frank turns his gaze on her, pushing her head but it barely moves her.

“You know what I mean!”

“Hey, if we’ve caught it off guard then that means we’ve got the upper hand…right?” Susie asks, fixing her hair when Julie rejoins us by walking out from behind Frank.

“It’d be nice to think that but I don’t think so, I think that it is trying to figure out what it _can_ do now that we’re not so predictable.” She says and Jake nods.

“She’s right, it might be trying to conserve what little power it has left so it can’t be slapping us on the wrist when we act out of turn. It might be planning it’s next move to try and regain control over this place and us.”

Just then, we hear a loud roar that has us all turn towards the truck. A mound of what looks like flesh and slime forms on the floor, not seeming to affect the linoleum at all.

“Um…what the fuck is that?” Joey asks, leaning on Frank’s shoulder.

Like a scene from a sci-fi movie, a massive claw bursts from the pile and seems to grasp the floor; the arm its attached to visibly toned with muscle. It’s quickly followed by a huge flower of flesh and thorny teeth. A beast built of muscle and claws, standing almost two whole feet taller than us and seeming very focused on us when the Red Stain shone over us.

“Oh God!” I gasped.

It roared an unholy sound at us that seemed to shake the walls, Jake and I had to cover our ears it was so loud. We were almost completely trapped where we were, the only space we had to go anywhere was where that thing stood, the truck blocked the rest of the hall completely. To get over it, we’d have to belly crawl over the roof of the cab, rubbing our backs on the ceiling. With those spines behind us we had no way to back out and start again, we were going to have to do what I really didn’t want us to have to do…stand and fight.

I half considered letting Frank take the lead but I didn’t even have a moment to move my feet as Susie pushed past me and throws her body into it, throwing them both onto the flesh pile it came from.

“RUN!” she screams and I hesitate but am suddenly swept off my feet by Frank, picking me up like any Killer would and running away with me. Jake keeping pace behind us and I watch as Susie ends up getting sucked into that pile of flesh with it and they disappear. As he runs, I see Julie and Joey keeping pace behind him, Jake not too far behind.

“Come on, they must be downstairs now!” he says when a loud crack brings everyone to a halt and sends Frank and I crashing to the floor. I tumble clumsily over his head, fearing that I’d just squished it and I hit the wall. Looking up I feel all the color drain from my face as I see a big bloody splatter across the floor from where he’d landed.

Looking up, I see a petite girl with short brown hair and vintage looking clothes, standing there holding a bat up on her shoulder. She looks more scared than we do, she’s got a clear rip and blood on the sweater she’s wearing and I can see a little of her flesh underneath. She’s sweating and her eyes are wide; that of a frightened animal. Julie starts towards her but she threatens the bat and Julie stops.

“Stay back!!” she warns as Frank groans, slowly rising to his hands and knees.

He raises his head and I can see that the white of his right eye has exploded with red and that same red is leaking from his ear, dripping down his jaw and off his chin. His eyes look glossy, as if he’s on the brink of passing out and I feel a chill race up my spine. I could feel the damage that had been inflicted on me before and I felt it fade away.

I could see the damage was worse inside his head, he may have a concussion! She hit him with all her strength and now I realized that their endless energy and seeming indestructibility had been a gift provided by The Entity.

“Dwight…” he rasped as he tried to get up.

The girl raised the bat again and I ran over, throwing myself between her and Frank, raising my arm to cover him.

“PLEASE STOP!” I yelled, bracing to be struck!

She visibly winced as she slowed the bat down just enough for it to harmlessly tap my raised arm and she stepped back quickly. She holds the handle but lets the bat bump the floor, smearing Frank’s blood. She looks defeated when I realize her eyes are hard on me.

“Dwight?” she asks and I raise my eyebrows.

“That’s me, how’d you know my name?” I say and her eyebrows furrow as she comes over to me.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry! The way he was carrying you, I thought he was a Killer and-oh my God!!” she panics, dropping the bat and her face going paler than my own.

“Calm down, please!!” I beg when Frank falls to his belly and I turn away from her.

I’m kneeling beside him as I flip him onto his back, seeing that while the blood from his ear has stopped, I can see that one of his pupils is blown wide and I feel my heart shrivel inside my chest.

“Oh my God!! Jake, he needs help!!!” I plead and Jake rushes over, pulling his back pack off and starts digging through it while Julie, Joey and the girl kneel beside me.

“What’s happening to him Dwight!?” Julie asks, carefully pulling his head into her lap.

“I don’t remember the name…it’s a medical thing, it happened to my mom once while I was in school. She was in a car accident and one of her pupils dilated really badly, she had to be rushed to the hospital. Something happened in her brain and I think that’s what’s happening now!!”

“Oh God, what have I done?!” the girl looks as if she’s about to be sick but Julie reaches over and takes her hand.

“It’s Ok, Frank is tough. He’ll be Ok, you didn’t know!” she soothes and the girl nods, letting Julie hug her and I’m shocked.

I thought Julie would be angry at her, we just lost Susie who is Julie’s best friend and Frank was just hit with a bat, yet she’s more occupied with calming the girl down rather than be angry at her.

Jake quickly pulls out his anti-hemorrhage syringe and injects it into Frank’s neck then tosses the syringe away. We wait, in suspended worry until Frank blinks a few times, his pupil shrinking to match the other emphasizing the remaining difference in iris color. The blood seems to drain from his eye and before we know it, he’s looking around until he finds me and pulls me down, kissing me hard as I brace against the floor to keep from falling over.

“Oh!” the girl turns her head away and Julie just slaps her own forehead.

“Frank, come on!” she says and Frank releases me.

“Sorry…just…I needed that.” He says, sitting up slowly and rubbing the side of his head where the bat had struck. “That’s some swing you’ve got there Nancy,” he says and she jumps.

“How’d you know my name?!” she stands up and steps back a little, still nervous of him.

“Um…” he starts then points at me. “Focus on him, not me.”

She seems to take his advice and rushes over to sit in front of me, strangely close since her knee presses against mine, but I figure it’s just because she’s scared.

“(f/n) told me to find you before…that thing took her over again.” She says and this tension suddenly rises immensely all around us.

“(f/n) talked to you?! How?” I asked quickly and she shook her head.

“I don’t know. It’s like she’s got split personalities, but the meaner of the two is winning.” We somewhat crowd around Nancy to listen as she explains. “While I was with her, she was mostly Wicked but she seems to shift between the two…like they’re fighting over who gets to talk.” She says and I glance over at Frank who looks a little ill at ease.

“So, they’re already fighting for who’s in control…so much for your plan Frank,” Julie says.

Frank doesn’t say anything, he’s just staring straight ahead when Nancy reaches into her back pocket and produces a small plastic brick.

“Maybe this will help,” she says and presents it to us. “The batteries are dead but if we can find more, maybe I can show you what I found out.”

“What are you, a journalist?” Joey asks and she smiles softly at him.

“Not quite…but thanks.” She says when she looks at Jake, who has knelt down and is digging through one of the pockets near his ankle. “What are you looking for?”

“I’ve never tried putting these in anything but a flashlight but,” he then produces two long life batteries. “Hopefully they’ll work for you.”

“Thank you,” she takes them and starts loading up the tape recorder. She rewound it a little before pressing play and the audio played was definitely (f/n)’s voice but it was like a low growl and less of the melodic sound I’d come to know.

_“She was technically a guidance counselor at a high school…”_

“She’s talking about Michelle? Why?” I ask and she shakes her head.

“I don’t know, she sorta…” Nancy seemed hesitant to say and closed her eyes before managing to get the word out. “She kissed me and said it was how she learned everything that I know. She said she was giving me what I wanted, she told me ‘the truth’. I’m not sure what that means but then she just started talking.”

She turns on the tape and we listen as Wicked delves into the event that lost Michelle to us forever; her birth. I felt their eyes go to me as she talked about how I should have killed myself before ever even coming here but I kept my eyes on the tape recorder, that part of my life was over anyways.

_“…dear old dad was called The Director.”_

“Oh my God…” I mutter and Nancy paused the tape. “I completely forgot about him.”

“Jeez, you have been here a long time.” Julie mused, patting my shoulder gently.

“What do you remember?” Frank asks and I ponder, everything starting to return to the surface, as if it was called upon by that name. It was like I was in a trance.

“Roger Davis was once a theatre owner who delighted in building a set and show. He loved his performers, the music, the lights; setting a scene was his artform and he took great pride in it. The stage was a part of his soul and he was always moved to tears watching a piece come together.

One day however, he found some vandals had broken into his theatre and were destroying his stage. He chased them off but the damage had been done, he couldn’t afford repairs and thus, closed his theatre. Without the theatre, he couldn’t create and thus he lost his only source of income. His life spiraled out of control from there, he tried everything to get back on his feet but his disappointment seemed never ending. He couldn’t hold down any ‘normal’ job, he knew the stage was his calling and fell into a deep depression that only got deeper with each failure.

His only solace had been his wife Jessica, she’d been working hard as a teacher to provide for them while he sought out work. He feared that she resented him for not providing for her but, she assured him that it wasn’t like that and how she would always be there for him.

Then, wonderful news from the bank came in the form of a phone call. His loan had been approved and he rushed home to tell his wife. The theatre could be revived, they would make money again and he could do what he loved to do! Everything was falling into place; he returned home and found a note that said she’d gone to the store. He decided that while he waited for her to come home, he would go to the theatre and visualize how glorious it would be once it was repaired; his heart soaring.

His heart crashed however when he walked into his theatre and saw Jessica with one of his actors on the prop bed. His heart then burned, he snapped and went into a rage. He suddenly was struck with a wave of calm and began clapping, startling the lovers out of bed in a panic. He slowly approached the stage, the two frantically rushing to redress themselves. He commended his wife on her performance, keeping him so invested that he never suspected that she was cheating on him. He praised her lover for keeping himself tactful and respectful during rehearsals, wondering how long they’d been seeing each other.

Five. Months. Long before the fall of the theatre.

The following morning, the carpenters arrived to get repairs underway but they quickly fled and called the cops. It was the worst murder the town had ever seen.

His wife had been dressed up as Rapunzel but instead of long hair hanging from the window…her entrails were out and her lover was hanging from them, eviscerated himself. Blood splattered around the stage as if someone had tried to spread it around. Roger was never found and the tales of his wife and her lover haunting the theatre have prevented it from ever being reopened.

The Director came to us with three perks…

Monstrous Shrine: He saw the Basement as his new stage and treated the hooks like actors, playing their parts; talking to them and commending them on a job well done. The only performers who would never betray him or fail in their role.

Unrelenting: His attacks were always something of a dance, if he missed an attack, he would use that momentum to carry out another.

Sloppy Butcher: He was a killer of passion, not precision. He was a disaster when it came to attacking us. He always broke something or nicked an artery…if he didn’t take his time with us then, he would use our blood to paint a set for himself to use.

His power was the ability to command us to do what he wanted for a short time. ‘Action’ caused so many fights to break out once we got back to camp…ugh…it was awful.” I rubbed my face roughly at the memories.

It was like watching a pack of wolves turn on each other, so many angry words and fighting. Thanks to him, it was like the bloodshed followed us back to our camp.

“Dwight, sit down…” Frank ushers me over to the wall and kneels beside me as I sit down on the floor, his warm hand on my shoulder a great comfort.

“Ugh…I feel like I’m drunk…” I say as my head began to throb and I let my head lay to the side, rubbing my cheek against the back of his hand.

He smiled at me and turned his hand around, holding my cheek and rubbing me with his thumb. This action sent my heart into a little flutter but it was dulled by the nausea.

“What’s going on?” Nancy asks as she comes over to kneel beside us too.

“I think you just caused a vicious form of Déjà vu.” Joey laughs and nudges her with his elbow.

“Will he be alright?” she asks, scuffing her right foot against her shoe nervously.

It was strange…almost like looking at a gender-bend of my high school self. Scared, unsure and yet still wanting to reach out. Poor kid…I remember how sad I always was, she seems tougher than me though, that’s a good thing, especially considering where she’s been sent.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I say and look up at Nancy. “Play the rest of the tape, we have to know what we’re up against.” I tense my jaw, feeling my belly do a somersault.

She nods before turning on the tape again and we listen carefully to everything she says.

_“There had always been a rule that Killers were not supposed to hurt Survivors outside of Trials…he got a wicked hard on for mom though and fucking raped that rule…and her.”_

“Ew…seriously?” Julie comments.

I nod my head, Nancy seemed to cast a glare at everyone but me.

_“Yup, no one lifted a finger to help-wait! There was this whole thing that ended up happening when he attacked her. There were these four losers, all together they were a problem for my dad. Dwight was the first to cause trouble, he tackled my dad hard into the dirt and knocked him off of mom for-”_

The tape is silenced when Julie snatches it and starts trying to figure out how to work it, inciting Nancy to swipe for it but Joey keeps her back with a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey!” she says then glares at Joey and he pulls his hand back.

“Sorry,” he says awkwardly as Julie continues to fiddle with the tape recorder.

“I’m sorry, we already know this part and for the record; it’s pissing me off how she keeps referring to them as mom and dad. As if Michelle wasn’t brutalized by that bastard, affectionately calling them her parents. Fucking bitch.” She says before looking up at Nancy.

“That’s something I thought was weird, she just called them her parents like she cared about them…but I don’t think she has the _ability_ to care.” She crossed her skinny arms. “Besides, you don’t really have room to talk since you guys just watched it happen.” She says and Joey whips around to catch Julie and pick her up off the floor. Julie swings wild over his shoulder and Nancy shies back, eyes wide as Joey keeps the taller woman back.

“What did you just fucking say?!” she yells and throws the tape recorder at her.

It flies over her head and Jake rushes to catch it but it bounces off his open hands and hits the floor.

“Jules, chill!” he then peeks back and looks at Nancy. “What are you talking about?”

“Spare me, I know all about how the other Survivors just watched as she was raped and didn’t do anything to help her!” she says, not trying to move forward but not moving back either.

“This is why you’re _not_ a fucking reporter, you just accuse us without knowing any of the facts!” Julie spits when Frank rushes over and waves at her.

“Jules, you really gotta take a chill pill. Your scaring the kids,” he glances over at me and Jake and she puffs up her cheeks before crossing her arms on Joey’s shoulder.

“Whatever, Joey put me down.” She demands but he hesitates. “I’ll keep my distance, put me down.”

He sighs and sets her down, keeping his eyes on her as she glares daggers at Nancy. She feigns a lunge that makes Joey and Frank jerk to get in the way but she just laughs at them both.

“Ha, you guys suck.”

Nancy steps a little closer to me when I get myself to stand again, still leaning on the wall a little bit.

“Um…they weren’t there when Michelle was attacked, this is Jake. He’s the uh…” I start but he finishes for me.

“Apparently, I’m a damn firebug, nice to meet you Nancy. Julie is much nicer than she seems, promise.” He says and holds up the tape recorder. “One thing that I’ll forever envy about the 80’s is how things were built to last, now everything breaks if you breathe on it wrong. Here,” he hands the tape recorder back to her and she nods.

“I guess I should be safe to assume that time doesn’t really mean much here either?” she asks and we nod.

She looks back at The Legion and I see her brows furrow and I follow her eyes to Frank’s hip; his knife. Frank seems to notice too and pulls it out, flipping it around in his hand like an expert. He throws it up into the air and catches the blade, offering her the handle.

“Wanna see it?” he offers but she shakes her head.

“No thank you, I’m good.” She then turns to me and motions for me to come closer. She’s not much shorter than me but I have to lean down so she can whisper to me. “Why do only they have knives?”

“Oh…um…” I start, realizing that she might not understand right away but a quick glance at Jake tells me what I already knew. I’ve done enough lying to ‘protect’ people, it hasn’t worked for me anyways. “They’re not Survivors, they’re actually Killers…The Legion.” I say and her eyes get wide when Frank puts the knife away and raises his hands.

“Hurry up and tell her the rest before she freaks out.”

“There’s a lot more to explain that we don’t have time to go over, but I’m going to ask you to trust me when I say they won’t hurt us.” I say and know I’m pleading to her with my eyes, but after a few nervous looks she seems to set her shoulders, walks right up to Frank and offers her hand to him.

“Then I guess I should be glad you’re on _our_ side.” She says and he spits into his palm before slapping his hand around hers and shaking it. “Ew…” she squeaks but doesn’t shy back. Julie and Joey laugh and Frank squeezes her hand a little tighter to make the spit squelch between their skin.

“Pleasure to be working with you, Nancy. Names Frank, this is Julie and Joey-” the introductions are interrupted by the sound of a loud roar from below us and Frank’s eyes getting wide. “I believe that’s our fourth member; we’ll introduce you shortly.” He says as him and the other two start running down the hall, Jake rushing to follow them. I start after him but stop as I see Nancy looks frightened and I remember that she knows this monster, like Laurie knows Michael and Quentin knows Freddy.

“Nancy…are you Ok?” I ask and she keeps her arms crossed but I can see the tears welling up in her eyes.

“Yeah…I’m…” she starts but I offer her a soft smile and place a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s Ok, you can talk to me.” I say and the tears fall down her cheeks as she begins speaking through sobs.

“This thing…killed my best friend. I miss her all the time and I hate myself because I left her alone when she disappeared. To make it worse, I ended up getting sucked into even more trouble than before and now I’m worried I’ll lose Steve too. (f/n) was right before, I’m just a spoiled little brat and it bothered me seeing them together like that but…I just don’t want him to leave me too. I’m tired of losing people to this thing. I’m scared and cold and hungry and…and…” she starts and I finish for her.

“You feel like you’re drowning.” I say and she nods, wiping her tears away and trying to calm herself, her nose turning pink. “Nancy, it’s Ok. You’re not alone here…we’ll protect each other, it’s how we do things.” I offer my hand to her and she still looks scared but she takes it and I squeeze it to give her comfort. “Things used to be so bad before, no one trusted each other. We all have a reason to fight and that’s why we’re still here, don’t ever give up. You’re stronger than you think you are, trust me.” I say and she nods as another roar makes her jump but I can see the tension in her jaw.

“Let’s go,” she says and I nod, turning to follow the others when I realize she’s standing still so I turn back to her. “Wait! There’s something I need to tell you, it’s something she said. Wicked said that she’s using energy to keep (f/n) depressed so she can be in control. I don’t know for sure but I hope it helps.”

As if a lightbulb had gone off in my brain, I felt adrenaline surge through my veins and I smiled, making Nancy smile too.

“You have no idea how much that helps! Way to go, Nancy!” I say and her whole body seemed to change.

Feet parted, shoulders back and her grip on my hand tightened.

“Let’s go! We have to catch up to the others!”

**SUSIE**

It felt like there was a boulder on my chest, making breathing in a little painful. The back of my head hurt and I could feel where it had bounced on the floor when I landed. My fingers and toes felt like radio static as I wiggled them, taking inventory on my body to make sure nothing was missing. Everything felt like it was where it belonged, despite the weight on my chest.

The last thing I could remember was tackling that monster and then we fell so much farther than we should have to reach the floor. I then remembered what I could only describe is something smooth and slimy against my face in the fall. Thinking on it a little more, I figure my face touched the pile of shit that it crawled out of. Yuck…

Opening my eyes, I recognized the walls of the basement in all their splintering and rusty glory. Looking to my right, I could see the four hooks that I’d come to know but looking harder at them, I could see that one of them was broken and laying on the floor.

These hooks always rebuilt themselves right after a sacrifice…to see one broken looked so alien to me.

Looking down, I saw the thing keeping me down was the monster I’d tackled; unmoving but clearly still alive. The sound of its breathing was like an idle engine to a monster truck, growling with every breath. Its throat vibrated into my belly and I slowly reached down towards my waist to grasp my weapon, but its not against my hip!

Looking around me, I spotted it a small distance away from me. It must have slid over there when we landed. I just don’t get how we landed this far back in the basement. The thought was stopped by this squishing sound from above me. Looking up, I was afforded the view of another pile of shit on the ceiling, slowly weaving what looked like slimy intestines together and sealing it up.

I knew I was going to have to slowly inch my way out from under it, like trying to sneak out from under a sleeping pet. This was a stressful roller coaster of a process as every time its breath stuttered or it fucking twitched, I instinctively feigned sleeping. I’m not sure why I expected it to work but…it did!

It seemed to keep it calm enough to not attack me as I continued with this painstakingly slow process. I tasted a little blood as I bit my lip to keep my body from tensing up. I was scared that the shift of my muscles was going to be enough to wake it.

After what felt like the world’s longest minutes passed, I was now left with the head of this thing using me as a pillow. I wanted to just pick its head up then put it down on the floor, like I’d seen in the cartoons. I decided to shoot my shot and continue with slowly working my way out from under this thing, keeping my arm nearest to its body, ready to keep the head level so I could avoid stirring this creature.

I kept myself calm and held my breath as I carefully used my hand to hold one of its bottom jowls and keep the head level and slowly pull myself free. My heart jumped into my throat as soon as my finger touched it, it moved its head to curl up, away from and off of me. It felt like the boulder was still on my chest until the creature settled and returned to its idle engine-like breathing.

I lie in wait for a few moments, just in case the creature moved again before I got up. Careful not to make a sound, I snatched up my weapon and hurried towards the steps. Coming out of the basement, I find myself in a room with a bunch of tables and control panels, each one sparking with white, crackling electricity. I started forward when I decided to pull my mask down and keep my weapon out, if I run into (f/n) …or whatever she’s become, I need to be ready.

**DWIGHT**

“I’m sure that there’s a better way for this to be done, I’m not a dummy!” I complain as Frank stands up in front of me, pulling the ties tight around my calves.

“Of course, you’re not, you’re bait.” He says, patting my chest and smiling as he kneels to tie the other leg.

I felt really uncomfortable wearing Frank’s clothes, I was a little shocked that they fit me to begin with. His red hoodie fit me strangely well, him pulling his leather jacket on over it though felt heavy on my arms. My pants were usually comfortably baggy but his were almost skin tight, perfect for hunting us down, I guess. He’d even pulled the old gauze from around his hands and wrapped it around mine to make me look a little more like him.

“But why do I have to be the bait?” I ask, unable to mask my innate nervousness at this idea. “Wouldn’t it make more sense if you just snuck up on her?”

“Sorry Dwight, we have to get close to her and the only way to do that is if she thinks she’s got the upper hand. We have to do this the way Jake says,” Frank’s words make me glare over at Jake who just waves at me.

“Don’t give me that look Dwight, you and Frank have similar body types; it makes more sense for you to do it.”

“Well why can’t Joey do it?” I ask and he just laughs.

“Dude…first, I’m black. Second, I’m built a little…better than Frank.” He says and Frank simply directs a middle finger back at him.

“Hey, I was born addicted to crack; those sweet, sweet drugs made me skinny.” He follows that up with a laugh that Julie and Joey return.

“Um…what?” I ask and he looks up at me, seeming like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Oh, nothing.” He says and focuses on my leg again, tightening the laces against the back of my ankle and I shift uncomfortably. “Dwight, you gotta quit moving.”

“I’m sorry, these are a little tighter than I’m used to.” I admit and he pats my thigh as he seems finished with his work.

“That’s the point, I can’t have my pants hanging loosely, if I tripped on my pants and get caught by the fuzz that would just wreck my rep and my pride.” He says and Julie smacks Joey’s shoulder.

“You mean like someone we know?” Joey pushes her back and she continues laughing at him.

Frank stands before me and adjusts the hood around my head and I can’t help but stare at him, begging with my eyes to not make me do this but his eyes soften on me…I don’t really have a choice.

“Remember, this is for (f/n). We have to be able to get close and this is the only way I can think it will work.” He assures me and I nod.

As a direct result of me wearing his clothes…Frank is wearing mine. He’s wearing my black button up but ditched the vest, saying it ‘wasn’t his style’ and left it half unbuttoned as well. He fit well in my pants, he just had to tighten my belt a little more since while he had more muscle than I did, he was also lean in body type like I was. It looked odd seeing his neck and face completely exposed without the hood…but not bad in the slightest.

His hair was that trendy type of messy that bad boys could pull off, his neck tattoo was much easier to see now and I could clearly see the skull with a bat and the flames. He smiles when he realizes that I’m staring and raises his perfect eyebrows at me.

“Ok,” I say and he nods, kissing my cheek gently and making my face heat up as he turns to the others.

“Alright, the plan is simple. She will remember me from when she saw me under (f/n)’s house. Dwight is standing in for me so that he’s masked, she’ll remember you without a doubt.” He says over his shoulder and I nod. “I’ll hang back while you guys keep her focus on you.”

“What are you going to do?” Nancy asks.

“Once Dwight gets close enough, he’s going to grab her. He just needs to hold her long enough for me to get my arms around her throat and I’ll put her to sleep. Once she’s out, it’ll be up to (f/n) from there.” He says, his voice dropping a little.

I can tell he’s still worried, thinking about what I said before. We both know she has the tenacity and the resolve…but she might not have the power right now to fight back. I can’t even imagine what she must be going through right now but I can only hope that she’s still fighting, still hanging on.

_Just a little longer (f/n), we’re coming._

A loud crash makes us turn to look down the hall, (f/n) has her back to us, dragging a burlap bag behind her and she’s just thrown some barrels against a wall.

“Nancy, where are you baby?” she says in a sing-song voice.

Nancy somewhat cowers behind Julie who steps forward a bit to hide her. Frank hides behind a corner and gives me the thumbs up. I pull on his mask and do my best to mimic how he usually stands to convey confidence that I don’t have.

(f/n) turns to us and my heart sinks, her skin is pale, her eyes are completely blacked out, the corners of her mouth seem to reach the edges of her face and I can see the razer sharp teeth within peeking out as she looks to us. Her hair seemed to be alive, slithering across the floor like snakes and she smiles at us as she draws near.

“Ooh…what is this? Since when did The Entity allow visitors to the Trials?” she asks, her voice sounding less and less like (f/n) as she spoke.

“Where’s (f/n)?” Julie asks and she laughs.

“Don’t play dumb, you know she’s with me.” She says, tapping the side of her head and grinning at us. “I’m not going to lie; I’m impressed with you bunch. You look much more formidable and organized than the last time I was here.” She says when her eyes fall to me and she seems excited.

“Ooh!! I remember you! Last time I saw you seems like eons ago!! Come here, I promise not to bite too hard!” she says excitedly, leaning the bag up against her leg.

Julie looks back at me and nods so I start forward. As I pass, Joey grabs my shoulder and I stop, looking up at him.

“Careful man,” he says and glares at her as I continue forward alone.

My belly is doing flips as she greedily eyes me up and down and I feel unsure, something feels off. I can’t ignore that feeling as I draw closer to her but as I’m maybe three steps from her she holds up a hand to stop.

“Oh wait, here.” She presents the bag to me and I look at her, unsure. “Don’t worry, it’s not a bomb. It’s a present…for Julie.” She says and I fight every instinct in my body telling me to step back but I hear Julie rush over beside me and starts dragging the bag backwards.

I bite my lower lip and continue forward, Wicked quirking an eyebrow at me as I come to stand before her and she looks up into my masked face, seeming mesmerized.

“You look so good in those clothes…Dwight.” She says and Julie screams but I don’t turn back to see.

Her razer smile spreads wide as she starts to laugh and that’s when I reach up and pull the mask off, confirming her words but she seems surprised when I throw it behind her and it lands against Frank’s chest, making her turn and look over her shoulder.

“Ooh, I did NOT see that coming!” she laughs as Frank’s eyes grow wide at my actions and I push the hood off my head.

“I’m sorry Frank…but I can’t do it…I know she’s still in here and I won’t let you hurt her.” I say and Wicked laughs like a super villain.

“Aww, sorry about your plan there, Frank. Maybe don’t lose track of someone with such pertinent information next time. Susie was a fun little surprise though, thanks for that. Don’t worry, her mouth will heal…well, it should anyways.” She says and Frank looks like he’s seen a ghost he’s gone so pale.

“Dwight, you have no idea what you’re doing!” he yells and I shake my head.

“Actually…I do.” I say and that’s when Wicked begins stroking my shoulders, marveling at me. “I knew this wouldn’t work…” I say and reach up to touch her cheeks.

“Such a sweetheart…you really are a simp, aren’t you?” she mocks and I smile awkwardly at her.

“Oh come on, give me some credit.” I say and step closer to her, seeming to surprise her when a look of realization comes over her eyes. “I’m not _that_ stupid.”

I grasp her cheeks hard and pull her close to me, kissing her hard and making her struggle to push me away. As she pushed me back, I stumbled but managed to stay standing, motioning for Frank to come back over as I wiped my mouth. Wicked just stood there, eyes wide and trembling as she covered her mouth; for the first time since knowing she existed…she looked scared.

“Dwight, what did you do?” Frank asked me.

“As soon as she said Julie’s name, I knew our plan was worthless. No one can hear the Whispers because The Entity is using all it’s power to keep this place up…so how would she know who Julie is?”

Frank’s eyes widen at me. “You…damn genius!” he claps me on my shoulder and I glance back, seeing Julie cradling Susie’s body against her, the hood up over her face and I can’t even begin to imagine what Wicked did to her.

I look back to Wicked who looks like she’s trying to keep from throwing up, her face seems green and if looks could kill, I’d have burst into flames.

“I didn’t have a lot of time to figure out a new plan, so I decided to go by something Nancy said before, it was the first thing that came to my mind. Every Killer has a Curse to keep them in line and even though The Entity can’t do much else, after what happened before, there’s no way it would dare let her free without putting something on her…some way to force her to comply with this place in some way…so, a touch gives her knowledge…but with a price. Right, Wicked?” I ask and she glares at me hard.

“You fucking-hugh!” she gags and covers her mouth again, as if her head is going to explode.

“Nancy said that she told her ‘the truth’, then Joey asked her if she was a reporter, that got me thinking; ‘the truth’ is suggestive. Based on the tape, she told you the truth of her arrival here…but not where she came from. That part about The Entity not knowing about how humans procreate was bullshit. So Wicked, to pay the price for gaining everything that I know…I want to know something.” I say and if I’d burst into flames now, she’d be beyond happy. “I want to know _everything_ about you…Wicked.”

The trembling in her body and the green hue to her face seemed to fade as she stood up straight but the glare of hellfire remained in her eyes.

“I am (f/n) (m/n) (l/n). Crafted from the rage of a tormented child, born from the body of a virgin mother and baptized in the blood of my rapist father; I Am The Wicked!” she says and my heart sinks.

“Um…that’s not what I expected to hear…” I say and she laughs.

“Of course, you wouldn’t! No one expects the new girl to be the cause of the way of life you’ve all come to know here!! I was created the day I killed Gerald! That lonely creep ruined my life so I took his! Forcing me to sing for him every single day, it was like forcing someone to eat their favorite food until they vomited only to make them KEEP FUCKING EATING!!!” she screamed, seeming in despair over the memories! She raised her head and I could see that one eye was still blacked out while the other was (e/c) colored; (f/n) was somewhat here.

“He made me hurt so I made him hurt too! The Entity came for him that day but as it reached to take him…I killed the bastard. It was angry, as much as you think it wouldn’t, it’s an ancient being, lesser beings such as yourselves getting in its way is one promise to a pissed off being! As vengeance, it decided to take me but something unexpected happened. Despite the murder I’d just committed…I was still a child, an innocent, the salt of the earth. It tried to drag me into The Fog…but it only got part of me…the Wicked part. That fragment of my soul was deposited into the body of Michelle. Assuming that The Entity wouldn’t know about human reproduction is retarded!” she spits at us and I feel someone lean into my shoulder; likely Nancy.

“After I’d had some fun with your old friends, I was thrown into The Void by the other Killers. Problem was, when The Entity tried to erase me like the mistake that I am; I discovered something about myself. I am capable of assuming the form of whoever I chose…like a parasite, I enter the body and I can even hide out until I’m ready to come out!” She says and laughs as Nancy seems to go pale at the mention. “That is how I developed in Michelle’s form when I came here!” she smiles at us as if setting herself on display for us.

“She did mention something about her hair being a dead giveaway,” Nancy whispers to me and I nod.

“Right you are Nancy, so I decided to keep that power under wraps and protect my creation like a secret. If I assume the form of someone, I will obtain any abilities that they once possessed, so I have all the compassion and wisdom of Michelle and all the tenacity and resilience of (f/n) plus my own power. If I were to take on The Entity’s form…why, it would lose this whole world it’s created. Can’t have that, so it simply avoided me, kept me at a distance so I can’t touch it and ensured that I would never be able to use my power on it. So, I swam around in The Void, devouring it’s reserves to keep myself alive, enjoying all the spoils of The Entity’s pantry until there was nothing left for it…thus…it began to starve.

Like an undeserved gift then, it returned the body I came from and it feels like sleeping in my own bed after a long trip elsewhere; home. I am home again and I am a creature that The Entity can never be rid of!” she laughs like a maniac in an asylum before suddenly gaining this look in her eyes that prompts me to step back a little.

“My one complaint is that (f/n) is a real pain in the ass to keep buried! She would have been easier to subdue if The Entity had done its job well!”

“What do you mean?” I ask and she laughs at me.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“(f/n), make her tell us the truth!” I yell and Wicked grimaces, dropping to her knees.

“Fucking bitch!!” she growls before glaring daggers at me and snarling before answering. “(f/n) was meant to be a Killer by punishment since her sweet soul would never have hurt a fly. Her soul ripping in two however, caused a different chain of events. It decided to raise her up itself, fill her with sadness and anger, make her angry at the world because it wanted her to suffer; punishment for interrupting it. She was meant to become a local legend after going on a massive murder spree at school…but then that little bleeding-heart brat and his fucking family got in the way again! Humans always putting their damn noses where they’re not wanted.”

“Joseph,” I mutter and she claps her hands.

“Someone give this fucker a damn medal!” she yells and glares at me, sweat starting to drip down her jaw. “All their fucking support, positive reinforcement and healthy coping mechanisms for her rage and her grief!! I’m surprised this bitch didn’t get diabetes with how sweet they were to her!! An angry Entity is one thing…but an enraged one was something else entirely. Joseph was an innocent who loves (f/n) dearly…they were meant to spend the night together but (f/n) insisted that she would be fine. Joseph dodged The Entity but (f/n)’s fate was sealed with me!” She starts walking towards us, her hair dragging along lifelessly on the ground behind her.

“Joseph was meant to be a Survivor and (f/n) was meant to be a Killer, ending the cycle of those two meddling in a greater beings games. I have always been a part of (f/n) and I am the catalyst for all the anger and pain she has in her heart that she couldn’t handle because I wasn’t there anymore! Now she’ll drown in her pain, suffocate under the weight of her own guilt and I’ll be left in control.” She draws near and glares hard into my eyes as I stand there, looking at her…this monster in control of the girl I love.

“Doesn’t that bug you Dwight? Doesn’t that hurt your delicate little heart? How about the fact that Michelle was nothing more than a useless incubator?” Her eyes look over my face carefully, searching for the pain that she wants to cause me.

It hurts…it does but…I know that (f/n) can hear me. I smile and Wicked’s smile vanishes. “She’s weak.” I say and she screams, lunging for my throat but Frank gets her around her neck and starts squeezing despite her struggles.

“NO, SHUT UP!!” she screams when Julie rushes over and shoves her knife into Wicked’s throat, silencing her then looking back at me.

“Dwight, keep going!!”

“The Entity kept them invincible but it can’t heal us the same way as before. She’s weak, if you push her out, we can stop her!” I say as Wicked’s eyes roll back in her head and she goes limp. Frank carefully laying her back and calling Jake and Joey over.

“Ok, now we need to make sure we hold her down until we’re sure (f/n) is back.” He says and I kneel beside him.

“The eyes, I could see that (f/n) was watching before. If the eyes are blacked out, then we failed…”

We watch Wicked’s body remain asleep as her breathing slows and I feel Frank press his forehead against my shoulder, his hands are busy holding down her shoulders.

“Good luck, (f/n).”

**(F/N)**

My body was cold and tingling all over, I wasn’t shivering at all…I couldn’t even move, part of me didn’t want to. Watching her torment Susie, the way she did…made my stomach turn.

She’d ripped some wires out of a control panel, humming to herself about all the things she could do with them…when Susie happened upon her by mistake. Before the girl could react, Wicked used her hair to capture her and hold her down on the floor.

Using the ruler Susie used as a weapon, she stabbed Susie’s lips, ignoring Susie’s cries as the compass needles dug into her lips and tore at her flesh. Once Susie opened her mouth, Wicked jammed the ruler between her teeth, forcing her to keep her mouth open.

She slowly…carefully…dug the braces out of her face with her fingers. I could feel her gums bleed under my fingernails and the scrape of her teeth against my nails.

Wicked hummed the whole time and acted as if she were tending a garden, not brutalizing her! I tried to focus on anything else but Wicked wouldn’t let me. She watched very closely as she got a grip on one of the braces wires, she pulled out the wires she’d snatched. She attached the wires to the metal around Susie’s teeth and dragged her down the hall towards another mangled panel.

My head felt like it was going to explode with frustration, I wanted so badly to scream and get her away from Susie! Watching her connect the wires to the control panel…I couldn’t do anything…but watch.

I could feel hopelessness dragging me deeper and deeper into my own despair, I feared that if I continued to hold on, she would make me watch as she butchered them all. I didn’t want to give up, but I don’t know how much more pain I can watch her create.

_“She weak.”_

…! Dwight?!

Panic, my veins filled with panic! What’s happening? Why is Wicked panicking? From the way things have been so far, she’s not afraid of anything. She’s angry and scared!

_“The Entity kept them invincible but it can’t heal us the same way as before. She’s weak, if you push her out, we can stop her!”_

This warmth blossomed from my chest as his sweet, sweet voice reached me down in the depths.

I felt my finger twitch on my right hand and it sent a shockwave throughout my whole body. The layer over me of static tingles and ice shattered into pieces and left me as my whole body revived. I kicked and felt myself shoot upwards faster than a bullet, quickly brightening the water around me from black to a softer purple.

As soon as my head broke the surface, I gasped loudly as air painfully filled my lungs. I reached for the first thing I saw and that was the banister by the stairs, just to hold onto something as I was still shoulder deep with no sense of the bottom near my feet.

Coughing so hard that water came to my eyes, I felt my body convulse as I threw up some of the water I’d swallowed; leaving this quickly fading cloud of white in the water. As I regained my baring’s, I realized I wasn’t swimming anymore; I was kneeling beside the stairs.

The dark purple water that remained in the house was maybe a few inches deep now, as if that deep chasm I’d been in had disappeared. The house looked like the sunken Titanic; water damage that browned and warped the wallpaper, the fireplace had water trickling in from the chimney. The couch looked like it was melting and the archway that lead into the kitchen had rotted and begun to crack; the white paint faded and chipping.

This low but haunting howl made me look upstairs and I could see this veil of black fog completely covering the second level. It seemed like it walled itself off at the top of the stairs, not creeping even a little past that step.

I felt a little flutter against my thigh and looked down to see that Dwight’s shirt had come unbuttoned; heavy with the water and tickled my leg, dripping water down my skin. I didn’t bother to wring it out since I was soaked to the bone right now anyways, I just pulled out the two ends and tied them like a skimpy school girl and knotted it tightly just under my bust. My shorts were heavy with water as well but they fit me properly so it wasn’t too uncomfortable.

“YOU FUCKING BITCH!” I hear and don’t have time to react when I get punched by Wicked who appeared out of nowhere to me!

I managed to roll through the punch and am left kneeling by the kitchen archway as Wicked stands over the half-submerged body of my father.

Looking at her now, she looked a little worse for wear. Her long (h/c) hair was lifelessly hanging around her and though her skin was pale and sickly looking, I could see what looked like green bruises all over her thighs and shoulders. The longer I looked, I could see that the ‘bruises’ were spreading and getting bigger, looking more like she was rotting from within.

“What’s…what’s happening to you?”

“You’re fucking happening!” she yells but covers her face with both her hands.

At first, I think she’s crying but she lowers her hands and was just composing herself as she glares her soulless eyes at me.

“Ok (f/n), I’ll give you credit where credit is due. You’ve got way more fight in you than any other Survivor I’ve met here. Even Al tried to fight back but that was as useless as his legs when I was done with him.” She said with a dark grin and I clenched my teeth.

Standing apart from her like this was firing goosebumps all across my skin and I felt every instinct in my body telling me to get away from her, but I forced myself to stay.

“I’m allowed to feel bad for myself for a little bit! I’m not some psycho who kills herself after her boyfriend cheats on her and laughs when she finds out!”

“Oh, shut the fuck up!” she snaps, shaking the whole house to the point something falls and breaks in the kitchen behind me. I look at her with wide eyes, my mind racing to think of how I’m going to even get outside! “I could hear everything you were thinking before this and all it’s been was Frank this or Dwight that! You’re so damn dick drunk, I’m shocked you weren’t in at least one fucking porno back home!!” she says and the decay on her body seems to worsen.

“You don’t look like you have a lot of time…” I say, chastising myself for even _considering_ extending an olive branch to her.

“See that’s where you’re wrong, bitch. I don’t need your pity; I’m not going to be used as someone’s fucking toy. It’s my turn to play and I won’t stop until I damn well feel like it!” she starts towards me and I back up a little, bumping the archway and actually knocking it off the wall, exposing the wood actively rotting underneath it. “Nothing would make me happier than to slice you out of existence. You’re not even worth playing with like I did the others so I can only think of how I will probably cum as I crush your head between my teeth!” she yelled and I looked back up to her as I spotted something.

The rot on her thigh…looks like the wall. The house is falling apart and so is she, they’re connected…like I am to her. I feel the lightbulb go off in my head and I step towards her, making her stall in her movements.

“You won’t even admit the truth, you’re afraid of me.”

“The hell I am! Why the hell would I be afraid of you!? You are a useless, slutty little cunt who can’t do anything other than open her legs and cross your fingers that you’ll die choking on someone’s dick!” she shouted when I took a step forward and she backed up a step.

“I understand how angry you are…but you seem to be panicking still.” I start forward and she can’t hide the worry in her brow through her snarl, her razer sharp teeth yellowing by the second. “The house is falling apart and rotting away because I’m moving on, if I move on from my pain…you can’t exist.”

“Are you that retarded?! You can’t just leave me behind now that I’m here, you’ll never be rid of me! I’m a part of you and now that I’m back, I won’t be going anywhere.” She yells, again shaking the walls of the house but I don’t react this time.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m never going to completely move on. I’ll be grieving for my parents for the rest of my life and I’ll miss them forever…” I say as I bow my head, looking at my reflection in the water at my feet. “I used to have nightmares that they were angry with me, I didn’t listen and it got them killed. I’ll carry that guilt with me until I die.”

“You might as well have butchered your family with him, fucking disappointment of a child!”

“I guess that’s the only thing you don’t know.” I say and look up at her, as if looking at who I am in my reflection and then seeing her, now understanding what she is. “You are not the embodiment of pain…” I say and her grin falters, her teeth starting to blacken near the gums. “You are a beast born from my pain and thirst for revenge! He made my world fall apart so I wanted him to pay, I wanted him to suffer and I wanted to make sure it hurt till his dying breath!”

“You think just because you’ve figured out exactly what I am to you that I’m afraid of you?! Dwight may have got me to give up all my secrets but that doesn’t mean jack shit!” she snarls but I smile at her and her eyes grow wide.

“No…you’re scared of me because now I know that just because The Entity took you from me…doesn’t mean I can’t take you back.” I say and the low rumbling in the house falls still as her long (h/c) hair begins falling from her scalp, the rot continuing to dominate her body. “Now…stop standing on our father.” I say and she looks down, glaring and screaming as she stomps on his head only for her foot to fall through it and she seems to sink into the water as I continue to stand in my place.

She’s waist deep in the water and looking up at me with unbridled rage in her black eyes, blood red tears starting to leak down her cheeks.

“Bitch, this is my body!” she screams and what remains of her hair lashes out at me, quickly breaking but still clinging to me like a desperate jellyfish!

I’m ripped off my feet and dragged towards her, not by her hair doing the dragging but by her grabbing at the locks and pulling me towards her. As I got closer, I used my arms to push off the wall and with that momentum I kicked at her face, but I missed and hit her shoulder.

I’m tangled up in her hair as she grabs at my shorts, pulling me right up beside her submerged body and she manages to get her hands on either side of my head. She pulls me close and I close my eyes as her teeth dig into my head but break and cause little ‘sploosh’ noises around us. I push my forearm up and frame against her throat, forcing her to pull her mouth off of my head, a few strands of my hair now stuck between her teeth.

She pushed my arm away and opened her mouth, trying to bite me again but I pushed my forearm into her mouth instead and her jagged, broken teeth ripped into my arm. I began clawing at her head to try and get a grasp of her hair but it quickly proves fruitless as what remains of her hair falls off along with the entire layer of skin over her scalp!

It lands in the water and disappears beneath the surface as I freeze, looking at this monster that’s looking less and less like me as the seconds tick by. She glares at me, my forearm still in her mouth and without breaking eye contact with me, she crunches down and my arm snaps!

This time, it is my scream that shakes the walls of the house, only I hear every possible glass in the house shatter, the windows around us included and the chandelier falls from the ceiling, landing half on the back of the couch and falling onto it’s side, mangling the once ethereal light source.

“WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING SO DAMN HARD?!! THE ONES YOU LOVE WON’T EVEN BE ABLE TO GO HOME WITH YOU!!” she screams as I yank my broken arm out of her mouth and she grabs for my throat, her claws stabbing into the soft flesh. I can feel at least one of them break off inside as I struggle against her.

I pushed my foot up against her belly and shoved her back, forcing her to release me and she whimpered as it seems one of her fingers has broken off. Reaching up to my neck, I pull out what I thought was one of her claws but it was her whole finger and I drop it into the water with a gasp.

“Look…look at me…” she pleads, presenting her bloody hands and now her whole body seems to be infected by those green bruises. “This is what you’re doing to me…in all good conscience can you really keep going this way? You’re putting me through so much hell…can’t you see that?” She pleads, the red tears dripping off her face.

I steel my jaw and flip her off, causing that hopeful look in her eyes to vanish. “This is for Michelle,” I say and kick her in her face as hard as I can and her head flies off, smashing into the wall beside the door and landing in the water with a loud splash.

There’s this long moment of silence as I stare at her now headless torso when I remember that she was submerged in water this whole time. I scream as her arms lurch forward and grab my hips, pulling me towards her.

“YOU’RE HEADLESS!!!” I scream when her voice starts echoing around the house and her hands grab me around my neck again, digging her nine fingers into my throat.

“JUST GIVE UP! THERE’S NOTHING LEFT FOR YOU BEYOND THIS!! WHY WON’T YOU JUST FUCKING DIE?!!” I grabbed her left arm and raised my hips off the ground, bracing against the back of my shoulders and rolling to my right, knocking her onto her back and loosening her grip on my neck.

I manage to inhale and rasp out an answer. “I want to finish my shampoo and conditioner at the same time!”

“What?!” she says and that’s when it seems like the world around me has melted away and fades into blackness for all of a split second.

In a blink, I’m no longer in my childhood home submerged in water. I’m in my house, the one I’m paying for back home…all my furniture is where it belongs, not shattered or broken. I even see that old copy of 50 Shades of Grey on my shelf again which I quickly rush over and toss into the kitchen.

My home is pristine, some part of me even thinks that the latch on my back stairs’ doorway is fixed! I look ahead of me and see this cleaned up version of Wicked. She’s now that same pale and sinisterly sexy thing I’d seen before.

We’re both perfectly healed and dry, her body is snow white, her eyes are coal black and her teeth are once again razer sharp and unbroken. Her hair is longer than she is tall but she’s now laying on her side, looking like she’s trying to crawl away from me. She’s that same perfect horror that I’d come to fear, the physical body of the darkest parts of my past.

“What kind of reason is that?! You want to live for the sweet smell of Pantene?!” she asks me, her voice no longer demonic…almost sounding like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

“I wanna finish Ash vs The Evil Dead on Netflix!” I say and she covers her ears and curls her knees up against her chest.

“What are you doing? Stop!” she demands, no more powerful screams to shake the walls.

“I want to be the best man at Joseph’s wedding because he doesn’t have any guy friends!” I scream and kneel down over her as she tries to fend me off, all that mystical strength and power she had gone.

“STOP IT!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!! PLEASE!” she begs, real tears falling from her eyes.

Using one hand to hold her wrists together against her chest, I grab her chin with my free hand and force her to look at me. Facing the one who singlehandedly caused so much pain and suffering as she pleads for mercy.

“No matter what happens to me, I will never stop looking for a reason to keep going. Trivial as they may seem, even if the only thing to look forward to is going home without the men I love and living my life without their love in it…I will live on knowing that I freed them from this hell!” I say and I pull her close to me, holding her in a tight embrace as she screams; her voice echoing through the walls as I close my eyes.

I don’t know how long I sat there for…but when I did open my eyes again, after her screaming had stopped…the body before me was this sleeping teenage version of myself, bruised and exhausted looking after spending a year with the man who murdered my parents.

I took a deep breath and picked her up, carrying her up the stairs and going towards the room I’d come to know as mine. She awoke and began to struggle against me quickly, but her efforts were completely useless.

“Let me down!! What are you doing?! I’m not some fucking repressed memory!! I want to kill and maim and torture!!” she yells but I pat her head and she falls quiet.

“I know, but you need to take a little time out.” I say easily as I place her down on my bed and start tucking her in even though she’s fighting me.

“You really think ‘putting me to bed’ is going to keep me from escaping?! I will never be stopped!!”

“I know…that’s what I’m counting on.” I say and she just stares at me, her tiny little face reminding me of how small I used to be. “But right now, it’s your turn to sleep. Sweet dreams, Wick.”

**DWIGHT**

After Wicked passed out, we sort of just sat in a circle around her and waited until she stirred. While we waited, Joey sat up against the wall and let Susie sleep comfortably in his arms, him gently petting her hair and kissing her every now and then. Jake went with Julie into a room next to us to do some foraging and Frank stayed with me to oversee her for when she wakes up. Nancy was seated beside us in a room with a window, looking outside; seeming lost in her thoughts.

We sat in mostly silence, I say mostly because Frank keeps shifting and moving around. I’m finally prompted into reaching over and grabbed his shoulder, making him stop.

“Frank…um…can you please just pick a spot?” I ask and he settles, sitting with his legs crossed and holding his ankles. He starts tapping the side of his shoe with his thumb and I reach over to grab his hand, making him look at me again. “Frank…do you need to talk?”

“Sorry, I’m just really antsy.” He says and I scoot a little closer to him.

“I’m listening,” I offer and he smiles warmly at me.

“I mean…to start, you look great in my clothes.” He says and I had to quickly look at the floor.

“Thank you, you do too.” I reply softly.

“I’m just trying to figure out what I’m going to say to her when she comes back. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to start apologizing, _where_ would I even start?” he asks and I think it over carefully.

The things he said to her seemed to hit home pretty hard, I didn’t understand why but then he chased her and I can’t imagine what must have been running through her head.

“Well, what exactly did you say to her? Let’s start there,” I offer and he pulls his knees up to his chest and hides his nose and mouth behind them.

“I said what her ex-boyfriend said the night he attacked her and left her for dead.” I practically felt my neck break as the weight of his deadpan voice hit me over the head.

“Oh! Um…Jesus…” I start and he hides his whole face.

“See where I’m at?”

“Yeah…um Ok…” I ponder carefully and then it hits me. “Listen, she’s going to be pretty angry and I only gave her the short version so she’s obviously gonna want to get that off her chest. Let her talk and listen until she’s finished so you can grovel at her feet and beg for forgiveness.” I say and he nods.

“Is that all?” he asks and I think a little more.

“Flowers and chocolate tend to be successful,” I say and he sits up, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer. We sit there for a moment when I lay my head against his shoulder and he relaxes, laying his head against mine.

“It’ll be Ok…I’m sure of it.” I say when she starts twitching and he stands up, bringing me with him but also pushing me behind him.

“Guys…looks like it’s show time.” Frank calls out.

Julie and Jake come out of the room they’d been in with a smaller pack attached to Julie’s hip now. Joey stirs Susie who pulls her mask down before joining us as we circle up around (f/n) and Nancy rushes behind Frank and I as well.

“Remember, if she can’t answer the question then that means (f/n) is still trapped.” Frank says and I agree when her twitching suddenly becomes more violent and my whole body grows cold.

Just then, my ears pop and I cover my ears as a reflex, everyone following that same rule when Jake’s eyes get big and he looks right at me.

“Barometric pressure change…big one.” He says and that’s when this low rumbling beneath our feet makes us all turn to look down the hall to see purple water trickling in as if a pipe had burst somewhere.

“What’s happening?” Frank asks when Jake suddenly picks up Julie and throws her over his shoulder.

“DUDE!” she yelps but he starts running for the stairs.

“FLOOD!!” he yells and we are suddenly bombarded by frothing dark purple water filling the hall and rushing towards us.

Frank and I both go to grab (f/n) at the same time but we bump into each other. Joey, Susie and Nancy aren’t fast enough either and we’re all swept away by the water, my whole body dropping below the surface and my vision filling with black.

It was like watching a nightmare come to life, everything just fell apart so quickly and the last thing I thought I saw was…a woman’s figure swimming towards me.

**(F/N)**

I awoke with someone’s lips pressed against mine, they were firm and tasted like salt. I was so dazed that I started kissing back when they pulled back very suddenly and I heard a gasp.

“AHH! FUCK!” Jake’s voice!

I opened my eyes, burning from the salt water all over me and I had to blink quickly a few times to get rid of the blurriness. Jake and Julie were both looking at me, Jake’s face bright red and Julie stifling laughter.

“Oh…I’m sorry…” I started when coughing cut me off.

“It’s good…just don’t tell Nea please, she will kill you.” He says and I nod when his eyes suddenly get wide. “(f/n)?!”

“Yes?”

“Holy shit! It worked!!!” Julie yelped, grabbing Jake and kissing him hard.

“Woman!! We just had this conversation!!” he yelled but she just laughed.

“It’s Ok, Nea’s cute…she can get some too.” Julie says with a wink and Jake just crosses his arms.

“Every single one of you is going to get an STD.” he huffs when I look around us.

It appears that we’re on this landing on the stairs, still at Hawkins but the stairs going down lead straight into what looks to be a rushing river of that same purple water I’d seen before. It smells like the ocean and foams with every wave and whirlpool the current creates. I can see several pieces of furniture drifting through it, bodies and debris as well.

“What is going on?” I ask when Jake points up.

I look up and I hadn’t even realized that the roof of this place was fucking gone! The entire upper level of this place had been destroyed and I could only see a sky full of black clouds and swirling lightning within it.

“Um…”

“I believe the correct term is called…a storm.” Jake starts but Julie shakes her head.

“Some storm to make the ocean flood.” She says.

“Supercell…” I mutter and they both turn their eyes to me. “It’s going to get worse; we have to get out of here.”

“How, exactly?” Jake asks and I ponder.

“I mean, traveling through a flood isn’t exactly recommended but if we have to, I think we should try to take this one step at a time. Maybe try to catch some of this debris to make a raft or a bridge?” I think when I hear no response and look up from the floor.

Jake and Julie’s eyes are bugging out and they’re just staring at me.

“Guys?” I ask when they point behind me and I turn to look, gasping when I see my hair is literally floating all around my head!! “Whoa!!”

“That’s the same thing Wicked could do…” Julie says then approaches me, excitement on her face. “Dude, do you have her powers now?!!”

“Um…I…guess so.” I start when it hits me and I look around, spotting a slab of wall that collapsed but looks mostly intact. “Um…Julie, can I try something with you?”

“Hell yeah! Make me your guinea pig baby!!” she says and waits as I try to focus carefully on my hair wrapping around her hips.

Slowly but surely my hair seems to grow and slithers over to her, grasping her around her hips and I try lifting her up but only manage to raise her heels up before I have to put her down and wait a moment. It’s like straining muscles I didn’t know I had for the first time and it was exhausting to just get them over to her.

I took a deep breath and tried again, slowly raising her up off the ground and turning towards the fallen wall I’d been looking at. I started to reach out over the water, carrying Julie out; her feet dangling just above the surface. As she got about half way there, I suddenly collapsed to my knees and she dipped her feet into the water.

“Come on girlfriend! You can do it!!” she cheered and Jake put his hands on my shoulders, showing his own support in his quiet way.

I ground my teeth together and hurried to raise her up out of the water and aimed for the platform as I raised her up a little more. She helped me by reaching out with her feet and placing them on the edge of it, slowly pulling herself over until she was on it and standing.

“Ok, Jake…now it’s your turn.” I start but he holds a finger up.

“You catch your breath superfreak, Julie!” he yells and I look over at her. “Can you go any further without us?”

“Yeah, this leads me off to dry land.” She says back.

“Ok, go find Frank and the others; we’ll catch up!” he says when she waves and starts away but turns back suddenly.

“Where should we meet?” she calls and Jake hesitates.

“How about there?” I call out, pointing at the flag pole with a torn up American flag still on it with a visible orange flower growing up it like ivy climbing a fence.

“Alright, see you guys soon! Don’t die!”

“Back at ya!” he says and Julie vanishes. “Ok, let’s get you up.” He lets me lean on him as I move to stand but I feel a very sudden kick in the back of my eyes and I drop to my knees again.

“Ahh!” I exclaim when this hissing voice returns to me again, I now know this voice to be Wicked.

_Jake doesn’t taste too bad…maybe Nea won’t mind if we sample again?_

“Shut up, leave Jake alone.” I growl when she falls silent and the pain subsides, I look up though and Jake looks sad.

“Oh no…she’s not gone, is she?” he asks and I shake my head. “Why?” He asks and I force myself to stand on my own as the storm above us begins to bludgeon us with wind.

“Because…we still need her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will never write another fight sequence again. (Totally lying because i obviously crave torture)  
> I'm so sorry this took so long to write. #coronavirusisabtich Work has just been absolute horror with all that craziness going on.  
> Moving past that, I'm now doing daily updates to my Patreon. The lowest tier will allow you to see early versions of my videos, wips of chapters here before official updates and more goodies just for you :3 Check me out!  
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=25099945)  
> Updates will be coming faster shortly (I hope anyways, as long as this whole virus thing doesn't get worse) Fingers crossed ya'll, enjoy :3


	5. Running Out Of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now possessing Wicked's abilities, (f/n) is now going to have to find a way to gather up with the others again and return to the Survivor Forest...but is it really that simple?  
> No, of course it isn't.  
> Tick Tock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

Jake looked like a wet cat as I sat him down on the ground not too far away from me, dripping with water and breathing heavily. As soon as his feet met the ground, I fell to my hands and knees, gasping for air.

I could almost feel every little hair follicle in my head thrumming with ache; overworked muscles that I wasn’t aware I had. My head honestly felt like it was splitting and I had to clench my teeth to keep from crying out.

_Not so easy, is it cupcake?_

I also had to deal with Wicked now whispering into the back of my head which I thought I was finally rid of but I guess not.

“At least you didn’t let me drown,” Jake says, removing his scarf and jacket one after the other; wringing them out between his hands.

“Sorry, I’m still not used to this and she’s making it really hard for me to access her abilities.” I say and he shakes his hair out, letting the black, spikey locks stand up similarly to before.

His tank top stuck to his body skin tight thanks to the water but he made quick work of that as well. His body was similar to Dwight’s; thin frame but muscular and lean from living the way that they must. My eyes immediately went to the scar on his neck, an almost exact twin to the one on Dwight’s hip.

“She’s keeping you from using it?” he asks as he comes over to me, running his fingers through his hair again.

“Yeah, while I can’t say for sure it’s her fault per say, I can still feel that I’m holding something back. Whether that’s her trying to stop me or if its just me not knowing what I’m doing, I can’t be sure.” I admit as I stand up, pulling myself together and look around us.

From the platform we’d started on, I’d had to lift Jake over to another spot. From there, we learned that I can’t just pick myself up and do what I did for him and Julie. So, once he got his footing, he found this pipe and he’d hold it with my hair looped through it and coming back to me. On my side, I’d find something to mimic that act, lucky for me there were exposed pipes and heavy furniture everywhere thanks to the flooding of The Void. I’d loop my hair through an opening then send it over to Jake who would hold that pipe and loop my hair through that before I’d call it back. With our manufactured human pulley system, we would slowly work our way from little island to island till we found where the waters had settled.

Now that we were stood on dry land again, I could see that the lab had been completely destroyed by the flood and the storm was raging over us. There was no rain on us just yet but the clouds and lightning seemed to be gearing up for a massive downpour and it wouldn’t be long now till it did. The moisture and static was heavy in the air and there was a slapping wind that swelled and settled like waves.

I walked over to the waters edge and could see that it was slowly but surely still inching its way inland and I let out a heavy sigh.

“The water keeps rising, I think The Entity is running out of time.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Jake asks as he shakes out his tank top before putting it back on, furrowing his brow at the uncomfortable moisture it still held.

“Yes and no; but you already know why.” I say and he nods sadly at me, a shared understanding of our situation.

During our little island hopping, he filled me in on everything that they had learned so I knew what the stakes were right now. If The Entity really were to starve and die off…we may die as well…or worse and we couldn’t even begin to imagine what could be worse than this.

I let out a heavy sigh and glare off into the distance. The only reason any of this was happening was because The Entity wanted me here to punish me for killing Gerald Fitzpatrick…my parents’ murderer. I’m still having that unspoken debate in my head, should I have let him come to this hell or is he better off rotting in the dirt back home?

No, he’s better off in the ground. If he’d come here, he would have hurt Dwight and the others; just continuing to do damage to people’s lives.

_He deserved to die, who knows how much longer we had before he decided we were gonna be his new wife._

“Can you please shut up?” I say aloud and Jake scoffs.

“Wicked still being nice as ever?”

“Always,” I sigh and mentally shush her, causing a twisted giggling before she fell quiet. “It’s like sharing a brain with someone and it’s so weird because I expected her to be much angrier.”

“Don’t let your guard down, that’s how she got you to begin with.” Jake warns and I nod.

_Ugh, you two are no fun._

I shake my head to clear it of her voice when the sound of a tree falling has Jake and I turning to face the woods. We can see what appears to be the tree that fell, the stump a massive pointing spire, as if the tree had just broken on its own.

“What the hell was that?” Jake says, retying his scarf, when there’s a loud battle cry from somewhere in the woods.

Out of the darkness of the woods, a mammoth of a man races towards us holding a wooden club with metal studs all over it up in the air! He was so fast I narrowly managed to push Jake out of the way as he brought down the weapon down and it smashed into the ground, shaking us violently and cracking the earth.

“OH FUCK!!” Jake exclaimed, scooting backwards as this thing slowly stood up to look at me.

This man stood well above Jake and I, his face hidden by a wooden Oni mask, blood red with two black horns on the head and a red glowing eye at the center of its forehead. His massive body was unbridled power, brimming with muscle and battle torn skin, with a light copper peppering from past battles. His chest held this sinister crest with four red glowing eyes, razor sharp teeth and horns; held in place by massive ropes.

His armor was that of an old samurai but with all the polish and sparkle of a king. His hair was long and white and seemed unaffected by gravity or wind as it simply swayed with each of his movements. His shoulders had ornate demon masks with horns, tusks and glowing red eyes.

As he approached me, he lifted the club away and placed it on his back, somehow held there by an unseen sheath. He then revealed his sword, a blade of ancient Japanese steel with incredibly intricate embellishments all throughout it from blade to handle.

“Anata ga shindeshimau!” he yelled as he pointed his sword at me, like the samurai did in the movies when they challenged-Uh oh.

“Um…Ohayōgozaimasu?” I say and he tilts his head at me, seeming confused.

“What’d you say?” Jake asks from his place as he gets to his feet.

“I think that means good morning.”

“What do you mean, you think?!”

“I ONLY TOOK JAPANESE FOR A YEAR!! STOP YELLING AT ME!” I cried out when his eyes once again lit up bright red and he stabbed his sword into the earth, freeing his hands to reach back and grasp the handle of that huge wooden monstrosity again.

I started backing away just as he raised it to swing but I stumbled over my own foot and fell onto my butt. Jake suddenly appeared before me as the weapon swung down and there was the loudest, wettest most sickening sound of something breaking upon its impact.

“JAKE!!!”

I gasped as I began to wake up, but I started coughing, tasting salt in my throat. I felt rough palms and long nails on my face, guiding my face forward and looking up into a blurry world. I lost my glasses again…fuck.

“Easy there, you’re Ok, you’re Ok.” She says in a soft voice with a strange accent.

It’s a woman, someone new…she doesn’t sound like anyone I’ve ever met here. I’m unsure of what that could possibly mean but before that, I need to address the fact that I’m blind right now.

“I…can’t see.” I say, sitting up and she gasps.

“Ah, then I guess that means these are yours.” She places the familiar and cold silver of my glasses in my hand. I could almost hear angels singing hallelujah; somehow, I still had these glasses!

Once I’ve got them on, save for a few blurry drops on my lenses; I can see her clearly.

She’s a pretty Asian woman with thick brows and a sharp jaw, narrow brown eyes and her hair is dyed blond with the lightest of faded pink near the tips but pitch-black roots. She wore a pink tube top with crossed straps wrapping around the curve of her waist, a black jacket with a foreign language written on it in shimmery gold and a pink bandanna wrapped around her right arm, black writing on it. Her nails were long and the same bright pink, her fingers heavily scarred but also adorned with gold rings and gleaming bracelets. On her left forearm I can see a scar from some serious road rash, a massive divot in her skin that will never fully heal. She also wore black pants that match her jacket tucked into her black biker boots.

“Thanks…who are you?” I asked and she offered me her hand once she’d stood up.

“Yui Kimura, glad I saw you go under when I did.” She says and pulls me to my feet.

“You saved me?” I asked when I noticed this low sputtering behind me and turned to see an absolute vision.

It was a motorcycle with glowing pink lights amid all it’s sleek, black perfection. It idled quietly casting a red light behind it as it leaned there, awaiting its riders return.

“Wow…”

“Glad you like it, cause it’s time to go.” She says and stands up, pulling some pink lensed goggles down over her eyes.

“What? We’re gonna ride that?!” I asked as she mounted the motorcycle and patting the spot behind her, now waiting for me.

“Um…where are we going?” I ask nervously, feeling unable to form proper words to express my extreme discomfort at mounting his thing.

Once I sat down, I didn’t know what to do so I just sat there as she seemed to check her meters then reached back without hesitation and grabbed at the backs of my knees.

“I saw some smoke a little way back, someone must be there so I say we give that a try.” She pulls both my legs up onto the foot rests beside hers and then reaches for my arms. “You’re gonna have to hold onto me if you don’t want to get left behind.” She says and grabs my wrists, pulling them around her waist and resting them at the base of her belly. “Comfy?”

“Um…” I can feel my face turning red when a loud roar from the woods ahead makes us both look up. “Yes, we should hurry.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, hold on.” She says and in one fluid motion, she raises the kick stand and we’re firing forward like a rocket!

The trees pass us in a flurry of blacks and oranges, the smell of the Pustulas well overpowered by the salty smell of the water. The machine vibrated against my thighs which was a little strange by sensation when Yui seemed to jolt suddenly and called back to me.

“Um…having a little _too_ much fun back there?” she asked and that was when I realized my crotch was pressed against her back. Maybe she should have just left me.

“It’s the vibrations, I swear!” I rush out when there’s a loud scream that sends a violent chill up my spine.

“JAKE!!!”

(f/n)’s voice; she’s back but something’s happened to Jake!

“Yui, can you take us that way?!” I point into the direction of the scream and she nods.

“Hang on!” she revved the engine harder and turned into the trees.

It was crazy, watching trees come rushing at us but Yui was so fast, she may as well have been on an open road! The motorcycle would roar like a cheetah as she sped along when there was a flash of something white in the corner of my eye. Looking over just in time to see it, a mountain of a man suddenly appeared, racing along beside us with a huge wooden mallet in its grasp.

“WHAT IS THAT?!!!” I shouted.

The monster swings his weapon and it rips through a tree as if it were made of paper mâché, toppling the massive pine towards us.

“SHIT!” she exclaims and makes a sharp right turn, the motorcycle drifting to the side and flattening us closer to the ground; making me cling to her tightly. We narrowly avoided the tree as it smashed into the earth and Yui quickly kicked off the dirt and set us right again, not slowing down even once. If I had even attempted to put my foot down it probably would have broken.

She gunned it harder and we caught up to this thing quickly when I spotted (f/n) and Jake struggling to run away from it, Jake’s arm around her shoulders.

“There! Those are my friends!” I say, pointing at them and Yui nods.

“Hang on tight to me, when I say jump, we jump off.” She says and I didn’t even have time to reply to that when she shoots forward and her motorcycle lifts up onto one tire, spinning around and landing back down before speeding up again, this time directly at that thing!

It all happened so quickly, I wasn’t even able to register a protest when Yui cried out. “JUMP!”

I held on to her and pushed off the motorcycle as she pressed it into that same drifting motion as before only now, without her there to control it’s balance, it skid noisily on its side and right into the legs of that monster; knocking it down as if she’d just felled a tree herself!

We slide along the ground harshly, me still holding onto her tightly, feeling my skin burn as I got my own road rash up my back and side under my shirt. We finally stopped and I let out a loud breath and released my hold on Yui who quickly turned around on her knees to look at me.

“Are you alright?! You weren’t supposed to break my fall!” she said but I just stared at her with wide eyes.

“Trust me, that was _not_ a conscious action.” I say when a loud cry of pain makes me look over to Jake who’s fallen and (f/n) is trying to get him up.

A heavy rumble in the earth makes us both look back and see that the monster has stood up again and is approaching us slowly.

“Ano kuso oni!” Yui says and stands up, glaring at him but he’s not coming towards us; he’s focused on Jake and (f/n)!

I rush to my feet and run over to them, putting myself between them and it, Yui following quickly and standing beside me.

“Dwight, careful!!” (f/n) says and I feel the tiniest of sprites of joy in my chest at hearing her calling to me.

The monster glares down at us and I stand firm, reaching back and taking (f/n)’s hand and squeezing as I look up into the face of this being. I’m scared beyond words but I can’t back down, I cower too much and I will _not_ lose her again! I held his stare as he prepared his sword but Yui raised a hand and stepped in front of me.

“Tomete kudasai!” she calls out and we look up at his face, he is stalled.

“Kore wa anata no bashode wa arimasen, josei.” He says and Yui spits on the ground, seeming insulted.

Suddenly, like a pack of wolves rushing from the dark; all four members of The Legion appear and attack him all at once. Their knives all dig into his greyed, battle-scarred flesh and black blood spurts out as he struggles to get them off.

“RUN!” Frank shouted and I started moving.

I turned and grabbed up Jake’s other arm, seeing how his right leg had been viciously mangled and we started running away, keeping Jake up as he hopped to keep up with us on his one good leg.

“Where are we going?!” Yui yelled as she ran with us.

“Survivor Forest! It’s the only place we’ll be safe from that thing, at least for now!!” I reply when I see the glorious image of flames in the distance, the new bonfire! “There, we’re almost there!!”

Just as fast as we tasted this victory, it was stolen from us and we were thrown into the dirt as Joey’s body flew from the woods and knocked us all down. Jakes leg made this horrible squishing sound as he fell and he grunted loudly, clutching just above the wound. Yui skidded to a stop as she’d been missed and (f/n) had tumbled out from under Joey as she hit the dirt.

Another set of thuds near us warns me of two more bodies that have gone flying and that’s when I hear Frank struggling and turn to see this thing has his whole hand encasing his head! As if Frank weighed absolutely nothing, his face pressed into this beast’s palm as he struggled to get free.

“Frank!” I cry out and try to go forward when (f/n) rushes forward and I snatch for her but she is too fast.

“PLEASE DON’T!!!”

“Wicked!” she yells and I thought my heart had just fallen apart.

“No…”

_It’s about time!_

“Oi!” I yell and the monster looks down at me and glares, threatening Frank’s head in his hand with a squeeze. “Kare o oki nasai.” The words feel foreign to hear in my voice but feel natural on my tongue.

In the fall, I’d bumped into Yui and Wicked’s power triggered; my mind flooded with words of the land of the rising sun and growing up transfixed by motorcycles. Wicked had giggled as this happened and whispered a silent ‘you’re welcome’ to me. She’d basically taught me to speak fluent Japanese in less than a second and now I was talking to this thing…The Oni; Kazan Yamaoka.

“Nani?!” he exclaims and swings his sword at us but I run forward, sliding across the dirt, scraping deep into my thigh but dodging the swipe.

I then unleash the whole of Wicked’s power and leap from the ground onto his face like a frog, latching onto the mask and clawing into his head, my fingernails taking on the same properties as Wicked’s claws. As he struggles to shake me off, he drops Frank and starts wrenching at me like a tick. I start feeling something hot and fiery in my mouth that sends tiny needles of pain through my gums and I know that something else of Wicked’s is forming, reminding myself that I can take it.

He grabs me around my hips and my claws rip through his skin. He throws me like a rat and I manage to stick the landing easily, thanks to Wicked taking control of my legs. My thighs, calves and ankles radiate with the impact but I don’t react and the feeling quickly fades.

“(f/n)?” Dwight’s voice is shaking behind me, he’s scared but he’ll have to hold on until I can explain.

“Go, get back to The Survivor Forest. I’ll catch up…someone has to keep our new _friend_ at bay. Also Yui,” I look over my shoulder and Wicked takes control of my mouth. “Gengo o arigatō.” Which makes her eyes widen but she nods, looking rather confused but hurries to help Jake to run away, Dwight taking up his other side. I turn back to The Oni and look up into his face, my eyes widening and my lashes fluttering.

“Oni Sama…” I say in a sing-song tone, making him roar loudly and come at me with an almost blinding speed, a red fiery aura smoking off him!

I rush to roll out of the way, feeling the wind from his swing as he digs the kanabo into the groun where I just was.

“He’s fast,” I gasp, righting myself quickly as he recovers.

_Meh, he’s alright._

Wicked’s nonchalance should make me feel at ease but it doesn’t. She suddenly has full reign over my limbs and I feel myself slip into the passenger’s seat.

“What are you doing?” I ask and she grins.

“Relax, consider this me offering you an olive branch!” she growls and I gasp.

She leaps forward and attacks him, latching onto his arm and digging her teeth into his greyed flesh, causing him to roar with pain as he struggled to shake her off.

“What are you talking about?”

“Listen bitch, you need to fend this fucker off to let the others escape, right? No amount of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training is going to help you against this fucker! So, for once; let _me help you_!” she says and I’m in awe as I reluctantly, let her take the reigns and watch her go.

The Oni throws her off and she flies wildly through the air, landing like a massive spider on the ground. My belly does backflips as I watch him rush towards us quickly, the katana raised to strike. She twisted her body to avoid the swing and grabbed his huge wrist with one hand.

Using that as her base, she spun around and kicked him in the face, causing his head to snap backwards. She then jumped from the ground and clawed into his shoulders, bracing her feet against his belt. She then smiles and whispers to me inside.

_Watch this_

She growled and I could feel the sensation of my cheeks ripping open but the pain wasn’t sharp like what I expected, if anything it was this fiery hum that spread like adrenaline through my body! Once I sported her ear to ear shark tooth grin, she growls.

“Kiss…of…DEATH!” she says and digs her jaws into his throat, digging in and causing blood to spray around as he struggled to throw her off but she keeps her grip, the taste of his salty skin mixing with the iron of his blood.

She then rips his throat out and he falls onto his back, a low rumble in the earth following. I can see the blood trickling from his mouth inside the mouth of the mask. She then straddles his huge chest and kisses his actual mouth through the mouth of the mask and pushes his torn flesh and blood into his mouth, pushing his jaw closed with one hand and stand over him, licking her lips and rubbing his throat to make him swallow it.

When she stands up over him, he is unmoving and she lightly kicks his side. He remains motionless and so, feeling proud of herself, she starts walking into the woods; sauntering like a cat and relinquishes control to me.

“I’m at an absolute loss for words…” I say, wiping the blood off my face, my hands shaking.

The blood is hot and stinking of his life essence, the taste of it is bitter to me and my tongue feels like its coated in pure sugar, burning into my taste buds without falter.

_It’s called a Mori_

“I KNOW WHAT ITS FUCKING CALLED!! I just wasn’t expecting you to do that!!!” I yell continuing to walk.

_Well I don’t know how to do normal nice things for people._

“Why are you trying to be nice?”

_Because I’m in your head and I know **why** you’re holding on to me. The enemy of my enemy is my friend…for now._

“See, comments like that are part of why you are in time out.”

_Come on, I’m just kidding. I don’t have that much time anyways so I might as well have one last hurrah!_

“What are you talking about?” I don’t get an answer as I hear a loud gasp and look up to see Laurie looking at me, white as a sheet.

“Um…(f/n)?” she says and I look around, I’m on the border leading into the Survivor Forest. I hadn’t realized how far I’d gone, but at least I’m back.

I start forward and just as I step over the line, I hear a loud battle cry behind me and I turn just in time to see Kazan racing towards me, his kanabo in hand, throat still gushing blood! I jerk back over the line and his kanabo smashes into the ground on our side of the woods.

“What?!!” I scream and feel Wicked rare up inside me again.

_Oh, that’s not supposed to happen!!_

“Laurie, hurry and find the others then find a place to hide!! The barrier is gone!!” I shout and prepare myself for another fight when this echo erupts in my head and I drop to one knee.

I groan as pain explodes across my forehead; this same attack seems to affect Kazan as he has to lean on his sword to keep from kneeling.

“What’s happening?” I whine as the pain feels as if it were clawing its way out of my head!

_The Entity can feel its power slipping…it’s clinging to you so it doesn’t lose control...but it can’t fight it._

Soon enough, the agony subsides and I look up at Kazan who now towers over me with his katana at the ready. I close my eyes and wait when I hear something shatter and I open my eyes to see his katana has shattered just before it struck me and all the shards suddenly race into the trees like bees made of glass.

Kazan casts one glare at me then races off into the woods after the pieces of his sword. I take that moment and catch my breath…I don’t think I’ll have many other opportunities for that tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rahh!! Two hours late!  
> I'm gonna try not to beat myself up over it because it is the first week of my new uploading schedule. I'll be more on the ball next week :3  
> I hope you guys enjoy and I'll see you on Wednesday for my next YouTube upload.  
> Upload schedule on my Discord: https://discord.gg/6zhFyEK


	6. If We're Gonna Die Tonight...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you thought you would die tonight, what would you do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

“MOTHERFUCKER!!” Jake exclaimed loudly as Claudette forced his leg into its correct shape again.

The bone has initially been completely shattered after that thing attacked but, fortunately for us; Claudette knew how to set broken bones. The fact that we came to the discovery that the healing no longer works as it used to was crucial and Jake knew it too; thus, he elected to not receive any healing from our items.

Cutting through his pants, we saw the bone protruding from the center of his shin and while the blood had begun to oxidize, it was still trickling down. The trickle was both good and bad though, bad because he’s bleeding from a bone sticking out of his skin. Good because it meant that no major arteries had been hit.

“I’m sorry, please just try to hold on a little longer.” Claudette says as Nea fawns over Jake.

She’s rubbing his face and letting him lean against her lap while he’s being treated. She would dab his forehead from time to time and she was also kissing his hair constantly. Each time she kissed him, he’d smile and look up at her with such a soft expression, it actually warmed my heart for my friends.

I looked out into the forest and considered the worst-case scenario…that Nancy was lost to us now too. After the flood had hit us, despite our best efforts with the time we’d had…we didn’t see any sign of her anywhere. I crossed my fingers that she had survived and managed to get somewhere safe.

We’re startled by rapid footsteps approaching when Laurie bursts through the undergrowth and hurries over to us. She’s sweaty and breathing heavy; looking as if she’d just seen a ghost! Bill rushes over to her and reaches out to help her but she raises a hand to keep him back so he stops and lowers his arms.

“The barrier…is gone!” she says and my heart dropped into my ass. “(f/n) said to warn you all,”

“(f/n), so she really is back?” I ask when Jake points at me.

“I said that before you limp dicked fuck!” he yells as Claudette began to splint his leg.

“Um...is he gonna be Ok?” Frank asked and I nodded.

“Jake’s just angry,” I say easily when someone else comes out of the trees and I’m both elated and horrified by the image.

(f/n) is walking towards us, there is a massive stain of blood coming from her mouth and running down her chest, staining my shirt that she still wore. Her white shorts had red hand shaped smears and looking at her hands, I see that they’re painted red up to her wrists. Her eyes were wide and exhausted looking when she raised her eyes to us.

“(f/n),” I said when she seemed as though she was about to cry and fell to her knees.

I ran over and pulled her into my chest, feeling her body trembling as I did; her sobs coming out in hushed hiccups. I watched my vision fogging up as I squeezed her tight, my own joy spilling over the edges of my eyes.

“I’m so glad to see you…and you’re _you_ again!” I say as she relaxes almost completely against me.

“I feel the same…I was so worried about you!” she says, raising her head and smiling at me sadly, tears streaming from her cheeks, disappearing in the blood around her mouth and chin.

“(f/n),” Franks voice had me look over my shoulder to see him pulling his hood down and dropping his mask, his eyes wide and expectant.

I helped (f/n) to stand as she looked at Frank, unsure of how she was going to react. I could see all the emotions racing across her eyes at this one moment…I wonder what she’s thinking?

Frank’s expectant look made me feel that familiar desire to just fall into him. I could hear that same little voice in the back of my head and Wicked began to growl inside me, making my temper flare.

_Hell no! You and your damn PTSD!!_

“I need to go get myself cleaned up,” I say and pass him completely to address the others. “Get inside of Jane’s house and I’ll meet you there. Without the barrier, its not safe for us to be out here like this anymore.”

I turned and started off into the woods, hearing the bustling picking up behind me. I could also hear someone’s footsteps behind me and I glanced back to see Frank and I clenched my fists.

“Why are you following me?” I asked, continuing to go forward.

“You seriously don’t want to say anything about what happened earlier?” he asks and I spin on my heel to face him, surprising him into stopping.

“There’s plenty that I want to say to you, but I don’t have the energy to deal with you right now! I just want to get cleaned up and figure out what we can do next!” I crossed my arms and watched as he pushed his hands into his pockets.

“You know they say the truth will set you free…” he offers and I don’t react…at all.

_If he had a tail, it’d be between his legs right now_

Seeing Frank looking at me with such an expectant look almost had me fall into his arms but my blood began to boil and Wicked started whispering to me.

_Um…you good? This is not the reaction that I expected from you._

“Can you shut up, please?” I say and he tilts his head. “Not you, Wicked.” I say and he seems perplexed.

_Hey, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing; I love drama…hell rip his heart out and stomp on it! That’s what I want!_

“Bitch…” I hiss and she falls silent. “Frank, I have just one question for you and whether or not I forgive you for what happened, so you better answer me honestly or I swear to-”

“Absolutely, anything!!” he rushes out, pulling his hands out of his pockets and crossing them.

“In the beginning…when Herman attacked me…he said some things that I need an answer for now.” I say and raise my head to look at him. “He said that you saw me as just a toy in the beginning, he said you got swept up in playing with my feelings; am I a game that you just got caught up in?”

He uncrossed his arms and started looking around, looking uncomfortable but I kept staring at him. He looked back to me and sighed before grimacing and bowing his head. “That’s how it began,”

I couldn’t suppress the small whimper I let out; I don’t know what hurt worse. The fact that Herman was right or that Frank just admitted it to me. The heat seemed to leave my body and I felt the tears heat up my cheeks.

“I’m sorry, I-” I held up a hand and he fell silent.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before looking at him again. “Alright, now I’m going to ask you one more question and you’d better not lie to me or I swear, I will let Wicked take over and I will bite your thing off and make you eat it!” I threatened and his jaw dropped.

_FRANK FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LIE TO THIS BITCH!!_

He looked around and a little color came to his cheeks, making me squint at him. “What?”

“Why did I just get hard from that?” he asked and I dropped my face into my hands.

“Because you’re a fucking degenerate,” I say.

“Thanks,” he says and his smile fades. “What’s your question?”

“Do you actually care about me and Dwight, or are we just a game that got out of hand for you? I don’t care if you do or don’t, I just want the truth.” I asked and he seemed to take on this sober look in his eyes.

“I don’t know,” he says blandly and I thought I heard a glass break somewhere.

“What? How can you not know?!” I snap and he shrugs.

“I don’t know because I don’t know how to describe the way I feel about you guys…it changed from you two being things for me to hunt and Sacrifice, just like always…to what I feel now. I don’t know what I would call it.” He says and I take a deep breath.

“Ok…describe it to me. What do you think?” I ask and he smiles at me.

“That you look really sexy with blood all over you.” He says and I scoff. “That I want to meet Joseph and thank him for being your best friend, because he seems to make you happy.”

I felt my resolve waning and Wicked grumbled angrily inside. “What else?”

“That I want to go wherever you guys are going, I don’t want to go back home when this is over…I want to stay with you forever.” He starts when a twig snaps and Dwight appears from the bushes.

“He wants to get a dog and finish high school; he wants to get a job to take care of us and have a family.” He says and Frank’s face turns bright pink! “Isn’t that what you told me before?”

“Really?” I asked and Dwight came over and patted Frank’s shoulder.

“I didn’t think you’d have the balls to follow us out here,” Frank says and pulls Dwight close and kisses him, making Dwight blush terribly.

I cover my mouth with my hand, feeling a little flustered at seeing them together and Frank seems to pick up on it, casting his foxy duo-colored eyes at me and pulling Dwight closer and making the shorter man’s eyes get wide.

“Frank, is this really the time?” he asks but Frank looks up to me again and I just stare.

“It’s alright man, look at her.” He turns his chin to face me. “I did say that I wasn’t dying until I fuck you…now I can finally have you both,” he teases then holds out a hand to me. “If she’ll have us,” Dwight’s face turns a dark shade of red as his embarrassment and excitement mix in his eyes as he looks back at me.

I nod softly and he slowly pulls Dwight closer and kisses him harder, causing him to melt against Frank and moan softly; making my chest grow warm.

I’ve been beaten, tortured and violated in a cornucopia of ways; if I ever needed to let off some steam…it was now. I start shifting my feet as I watch them make out, captivated. It was interesting being the voyeur this time; watching how Dwight’s body clings to Frank and the blissful look that he has when he’s being kissed. I wonder if he looks like that when I kiss him?

Frank then takes Dwight’s glasses off and slides them into his front pocket, without breaking their kiss. Frank growls as he continues to get excited and pulls away from Dwight, his tongue sticking out and his eyes lazy looking up at him. Frank turns to me and smiles, sending goosebumps up on my skin.

“Aww…someone’s feeling left out.” he teased and step behind Dwight and push him to sit on his ass. “Stay there,” he says and walks over to me, bending down a little to be eye level with me.

“Frank…is this your idea of making it up to me?” I ask and he chuckles darkly, sending shivers up my spine. “I like it,” I say and he smiles, taking my hand and guiding me over.

“Dwight might be a little shy so you should help him _rise_ to the occasion.” He says and Dwight’s face turns a shade of crimson I didn’t know possible for a human being.

“What?! What’s going on?” he asks in a rush, seeming nervous.

I kneel in front of him and give him my very best ‘do me’ eyes and he sighs, laying his head against his shoulder. “Oh…wow.”

Frank whistles and I look back and give him a smile.

“Ooh, someone knows how to get what she wants.” He moves to pass me and delivers a swift slap to my ass, making me squeak and a delicious chill ripples through my body.

I giggle as I scoot myself forward a little and reach for Dwight’s pants when his eyes blow wide.

“Wait, we’re doing this out here?! What if someone comes over here?!” he asks nervously but I shake my head.

“Don’t worry, no one is gonna wanna come over here…we’re not going to be quiet.” Frank says as he kneels behind Dwight.

I lean forward and kiss Dwight, making him jerk back at first, his lips getting dabbed with the blood still on my face but Frank pushes his shoulders forward and once I get in a couple of gentle kisses, he gives in. His lips are needy as he pushes his tongue into my mouth and Frank coos at us.

“Aww, you guys are just precious! Like high school sweethearts,” he teases and I giggle against Dwight’s lips as I reach back down to finish undoing his pants, my knuckles scraping against the zipper as I pull it down.

Dwight and I suddenly fall back a little and we pull out of the kiss, seeing that Frank has seated himself behind Dwight. “You’re gonna need something to lean against, besides…this way you can hear me better while we talk about how she’s about to treat your dick like hard candy.” He says and Dwight jumps a little, holding onto my arms.

“Do you have to talk like that?!” he quips and I smile a little, he’s so sweet.

“Yes,” Frank and I say at the same moment when my hand snakes into his boxers and I find my target, causing Dwight to gasp.

Frank places his hands on Dwight’s shoulders as I scoot back and lean down so that Dwight’s cock is in front of my face when I pull it out, standing at full attention and Frank ooh’s at me.

“Oh, so that’s what she was loving so much the other night.” Frank says and Dwight shivers, biting into his lip as I wrap mine around the head of it, teasing the tip with my tongue and slowly easing myself down over it.

“Mm…ahhh.” Dwight moans as I press the head of it against the back of my throat, taking more of him down my throat.

“She’s way too good at this for her own good.” Frank says then leans in close to Dwight’s ear. “Can you feel how soft her tongue is? How it slides up and down your shaft as she enjoys your flavor? Does it feel good?” he asks and Dwight lays his head back against Frank’s shoulder with a heavy release of breath into the air, making Frank smile.

It was interesting to watch from my position kneeling over Dwight’s legs and sucking him off but it was still so fun to watch. I take my eyes off them for a moment to inhale through my nose and push myself down further onto him until my nose presses against his lower belly. The flesh here was completely bare and smooth, I can’t resist. I reach up and lightly run my fingers over that spot and making him thrust up into my throat, making me pull back and swallow. I lick my lips and stick my tongue out; toying with the head, looking up at them and tilting my head for them.

“Oh, look at how sexy she’s being for us! You’re not gonna tell her what you think?” Frank asks, pushing Dwight’s head up to look at me, his face flushed severely.

“I…can’t…” he struggles but Frank causes him to shiver with a lick against his neck and a breath of cold air.

“Just look at her…tell her how she looks and how she’s doing.” Frank says and Dwight looks down, sighing as he looks at me. I open my mouth and make sure he can see the tip of my tongue dock at the tip of his cock then prodding under his foreskin a little.

He remained mostly quiet, a moan here and a sigh there as he resists the urge to make sound. Frank quirks an eyebrow at me then kisses Dwight’s ear, making him shudder.

“Look at her; her (e/c) eyes are beautiful while she’s sucking your dick…so big and pleading. She wants you to do something for her…she’s had a long night. Ask her, ask her if she wants it.” He instructs quietly and Dwight barely manages to shake his head but I wrap my lips around his cock again and he lays his head back against Franks shoulder.

“Oh my God, its so good…” he almost whispers and Frank smiles.

“It’s _so_ good, keep talking to her.” he says and Dwight slowly raises his head and looks down at me.

His eyes struggle to focus on me so he reaches his shaking fingers into his pocket and puts his glasses back on, Frank smiling wider behind his head as he gets a clear vision of me on my knees before him.

“(f/n) …you are…so beautiful…” he says and I nod, keeping my mouth around his cock; bobbing my head up and down on it. “Oh, yes!”

“Ask her what she wants, she has to tell you what she wants from you.” Frank whispers and Dwight’s black brows furrow as he looks down at me, his eyes hard on me. He’s never looked at me like that before.

“Tell me what you want…” he says gasping as I pull away but my hand keeps busy on his cock, jerking him faster as I raise my head to look at him.

“I want you to cum for me Dwight, please!” I beg, fluttering my lashes and the muscles in my jaw somewhat aching.

“You heard her man, she wants it so feed our hungry, hungry, girl!” Frank says and I take Dwight back into my mouth and push him into the back of my throat this time. His salty flavor making my legs shake with desire. I wanna fuck him so badly but I want to taste his cum in my mouth first!! There is no deciding if I do or don’t want this terribly, Wicked seems perfectly satisfied as she hasn’t made a peep since this began.

I decide its time for my trick so I take him as deep into my throat as I can, smushing my nose against his lower belly. I craned my neck a little to look up at him as I swallowed, making his eyes go wide.

“Ugh, oh fucking…AH!” he panics, his hands grasping either side of my head to push me off but I grab his wrists and keep him from doing so.

“No, I’m gonna-” he starts but Frank reaches over and grabs his biceps, pulling his arms back so that he can’t stop me and I keep going, swallowing again. “Oh my God, I’m so close…please-!” he begs.

“Give it to her! She wants it, cum in her mouth!” Frank says and presses his chin into Dwight’s shoulder to watch me continue sucking his cock when Dwight starts thrusting up into my throat, his head lolling back against Frank’s shoulder. He suddenly tenses up and pulls his arms free of Frank’s grasp.

I wanted to taste it so badly, I pulled him out of my throat and started jerking him with my hand, the tip sitting on my tongue. I kept my mouth open so he could see it when it came out and I used my other hand to push into his pants and grab his balls.

As soon as my fingers touched the softer sack, he jerked and threw his head back, choking out ecstasy as my mouth suddenly filled with his warm and yummy cum! I caught every last drop of it in my mouth when Dwight gripped the back of my head and held me against his hips, his hips lifted up slightly as he let out spurt after spurt into my mouth.

“You see that?” Frank asks as Dwight opens his mouth, panting loudly. “She’s squeezing your balls because she wants more of it. Poor thing must be starving without your cum…” he says.

Dwight’s face was pressed against Frank’s neck as he caught his breath, seeming to go limp as his hands slid from my hair. I look up from my place and open my mouth, showing them my bounty and Frank gasps.

“Oh damn, that’s sexy.” he says and I sit up and he motions for me to come closer. “I haven’t gotten a taste of that yet so come here.”

I press my chest against Dwight and kissed Frank, his tongue pushing into my mouth, swishing around Dwight’s cum in our mouths and I could have cum right then and there.

“What are you guys-oh!” Dwight says when he sees the one drop of his cum that escapes from the corner of our mouths.

I feel so fucking free right now, pleasing my two favorite guys and I guess some part of me saw this as a celebration. Everything that I’ve seen and experienced has been absolutely grueling on my mind and my body but now that I had my answers about Frank’s, Wicked was under control and I had a goal in mind before the night was over…me and the boys deserved a little break.

“I don’t understand how my life back home was so crappy, then it got worse…now I’ve never been happier because of you two.” Dwight says and we both turn to look at him, Frank’s eyes looking a little dazed now.

“Stop it Dwight, you’re gonna make me blush.” He says and licks his lips greedily. “Damn your cum is good…now then!” he says, standing up and making me gasp as he grabs me under my arms and pulls me back, somewhat dragging me away maybe a foot before sitting me down in his lap.

He pulled me close until my back was pressed against his chest with his chin on my shoulder. He reached down and pulled at the buttons on the shirt I had on until my breasts were exposed.

“Come on Dwight, its time you learned a valuable lesson about how to please a woman.” He says and Dwight looks over at us, lost.

“What do you mean?”

“You are going to make her feel just as good as she just made you feel. Come on over, now you get to eat.” He says when Dwight almost seems to get pale, nervous. “Come on, don’t be shy now. Take her shorts off and spread her legs, be a gentleman.”

“I’m not sure if stripping a woman of her clothes is what I would call gentlemanly but…are you Ok with that?” he asks me and I nod, tilting my head in a way that had my hair slightly cover one of my eyes.

He scoots up to my legs and slowly reaches up and undoes the button, then the zipper on my shorts. He carefully grabs the bottoms of them and starts pulling them down, Frank lifting my hips himself so that they slide off easily. Once my lower half is exposed Frank takes a deep inhale beside my head and I feel my face turn pink.

“Ahh, I love the smell of good pussy in the morning.” He says and I promptly respond to that with a swift swat to his leg. “Ouch! Just saying, you smell great babe.” He kisses my flushed cheek and I smile.

“Then why don’t you do it, I’ve never done this before.” Dwight asks.

Looking back, he only fingered me our first time; he’s never gone down on me but Frank has I think twice.

“Because if you don’t learn, you’re going to hurt her feelings. Look at her, she’s self-conscious now.” He says, presenting my face to him with his fingers holding my chin.

“Frank…I’m fine,” I say easily but he shushes me.

“Hush now, I’m making him feel bad.” he says and I giggle, my cheeks pressing against his fingers.

Dwight smiles and leans closer to me, the proximity making my smile fade and Frank lets my chin go. “Time to let you crazy kids do your own thing.” Dwight catches me in a kiss and I shiver as Frank slides a hand down and pushes a finger into my entrance and I jolt against him, ending the kiss and making Frank kiss my neck.

“Don’t mind me, keep going. You two are so cute together,” he says and Dwight looks a little embarrassed but he lightly touches my cheek, guiding my attention back to him and he resumes kissing me, his lips coaxing mine to follow him.

Frank keeps teasing my hole, my juices dripping down my butt when I feel a second finger push into me and press against a certain spot; making me squeak into Dwight’s mouth and he pulls away; glaring at Frank.

“Are you doing that on purpose?”

“Don’t stop, she’s gonna love this. Trust me, keep kissing her. She missed you.” Frank says and continues to finger me, making a fog roll into my eyes.

Dwight looks at me and I nod, lightly pecking his cheek and he smiles softly, kissing me again, placing a hand against my neck. My head was spinning and I began to entertain the idea that this had to be a crazy dream because this was too good to possibly be real.

I start sucking on his tongue and he hums in his throat as his hand slides down a little and he holds onto my left breast, my skin tingling as his hand grips it gingerly.

I feel muscles starting to clench up inside my lower belly and I know my end is nearing. I lift my arms and wrap them around Dwight’s neck, pulling him close to me when I get an idea. I pull out of the kiss and turn to Frank, who looks a little confused that I’m looking at him.

The way we’re positioned at this point is Frank has me seated in his lap; my legs are spread around Dwight who is kneeling in front of me. I licked my lips and twisted around a bit so I can kiss him, luring his tongue out of his mouth, the faintest remnant of Dwight’s flavor on it. I lure his tongue out and then I reach back and pull Dwight forward by his shirt, making him press his chest against mine but also putting him less than an inch away from us.

I hold eye contact with Frank as I pull my tongue out of his mouth, leaving his tongue sticking out until I pulled Dwight even closer and I looked back to his hazing eyes. “Kiss him…” I whispered and his face flushed a darker shade of read.

Frank didn’t hesitate and pulled Dwight into a kiss and I caught my breath, watching them kiss when Dwight reached up and pulled my head down and they both started kissing me. Sloppily pushing their tongues into my mouth sent a thrill of deviousness slithering up my spine!

I suddenly felt a familiar kick in my lower belly and I had to let my head fall back so I could yell because this sensation filled my lower belly faster than I was ready for. All this time, Frank had still been pumping his fingers in and out of me and I knew what was about to happen.

“Frank! Oh my God!!” I screamed when he quickly ripped his fingers out of me and I ended up squirting all over Dwight’s pants and shirt, scaring the hell out of him. He fell onto his back, completely drenched in my juices, my scent permeating this area like a cat marking its territory!

I twitched and shook, pulling my legs together but Frank pushed his legs up under mind, forcing them apart again. I couldn’t even summon the strength to fight back because my orgasm had my whole body alight with pleasure!

“Alright, looks like someone is all warmed up, your turn to make her cum.” Frank says and Dwight still looked so nervous but Frank continued to encourage him. “You’ve done it once, just do it again…with your mouth this time.”

Dwight still seemed nervous but he took a similar position to where I’d been a moment ago between my legs. He surprises me by pushing his hands up against the backs of my knees, forcing my legs up and opening me up a little more. “Uhh…mmm.” I hummed as I felt my hole spread and I felt the walls just within me separate.

“Good girl, giving our boy some room to work.” I don’t argue as he kisses my neck softly, causing sparks to dance up my neck.

“Ok, now put your mouth on her. Trust me, there’s so little that you can do wrong.” Frank says as he follows instructions.

Dwight covers my clit with his mouth and I shiver as he starts battering the nub with his tongue.

“Damn, guys had sex once and he’s already a master of the clit!” Frank says and I have to turn my head to face him.

“You and I need to have a long conversation about how that particular movie came to be…where you’re from-AH!” I almost scream as Dwight’s tongue suddenly dips inside me!

“You getting close already?” Frank asks and I can’t seem to form a sentence!

“No, he’s…Ahh!!” I chuckle then gasp when he seems to suction cup his tongue to the top most wall and pulls away.

“What’s he doing?”

I start laughing and kind of struggling, Dwight lifts his head for a split second and I can see this smile on his face when he suddenly pushes his mouth against me harder. He slips his arms under my thighs and holds me to him, his tongue so slippery against my inner walls.

“What the fuck is he doing down there?” Frank asks, seeming genuinely confused.

I lift my hips a little and Frank can see that Dwight slid down from my clit and his tongue is inside of me.

“Well, Dwight just went for it…I can respect that. Dwight,” He says and Dwight looks up at him, stopping for a moment.

I calm down and catch my breath when I feel Frank smile against my neck. “Use your thumb…on the clit, small circles…not too hard…but go fast!”

He pushes his tongue back inside and I moan when he rests his hand on the mound of flesh above my vagina. I looked down, feeling unsure about what’s gonna happen. Dwight starts rubbing me and the sensation it causes fires up my belly and into my chest.

I can’t bring my legs down because of how Dwight is holding me so I use my arms to try and push myself up and away from him but Frank holds me down, pinning my arms across my belly.

“No, no, no! Don’t try to run from it, let it happen. You know you love it babe,” he says as he holds me there. “Don’t stop Dwight,”

I barely manage a whimper as I keep struggling, Dwight isn’t stopping and I can feel the muscles in my lower belly clenching up as my orgasm draws closer. I open my mouth to say stop but Frank suddenly covers my mouth and whispers into my ear.

“Ah, ah! Shush now, let it happen baby. Let him tongue fuck you till you cum.” His voice sends shivers up my back and I feel tears piquing in my eyes.

The pleasure was overwhelming my entire body, my heart was racing, I was sweating and my legs were starting to shake. My eyes rolled into the back of my head when Frank finally let my mouth go.

“Keep going Dwight! You’re gonna make her cum, right? Isn’t he making you cum?!” he asks me and I feel like I’m gonna go crazy as I clench my hands against my belly.

“Yes, please don’t stop Dwight! I’m gonna cum…so hard!!! UGHH!” My orgasm ripped through me like a tornado and only then does Dwight pull away from me and take a breath, wiping his chin of my fluids.

“See…look at her now,” Frank says and guides my tired head up so he can see me. “Kiss her,” he says and Dwight sits up, kissing me deeply like a pussy drunk boyfriend. I gasp when he lets me go and rests his forehead against mine.

“Oh, my fucking God…timeout.” I say and fall over onto my side, laying there on the ground.

Frank just gives me this sinister look and grabs me up almost holding me aloft like a wet towel. He pushes me onto Dwight again but forces me over him to be on my hands and knees.

“Nope, no breaks missy. If we die tonight, I wanna die having fucked both of you little rabbits.”

“We’re older than you, incase you forgot.” Dwight says staring directly up at Frank from his place and Frank quirks an eyebrow at him.

“Ooh, someone’s suddenly sassy.” He blinked a second and looked down at me. “Say that five times fast.”

“Take em off, Dwight’s naked from the waist down and I’m almost completely naked. You’re the only one of us who’s still dressed.” I say and he shrugs.

“Is that all?” he says and pulls his shirt off and starts undoing his pants.

First the jacket, then the hoodie, then his t-shirt and then his belt and pants, he slides his boxers off and lays his hoodie down flat on the ground. “Here, Dwight you can sit on this. Now what?”

“You sit here, (f/n) can you sit behind him and hold his hands?” Dwight says and I nod, starting to catch on to the plan now.

I kneel behind Frank and pulls his wrists behind his back, making him peek over his shoulder to look at me.

“What exactly is going on right now?” he asks when Dwight comes over to kneel down in front of him, drawing Frank’s eyes forward again.

“You said you weren’t dying until you fucked us both, right?” he asks and I smiled as Frank tried to pull his hands away but I keep my grip firm, using a little of Wicked’s power to wrap around the back of my hands and make my grip stronger. “In a sense…I’m gonna give you what you want…but be nice to me, Ok?” Dwight says and Frank tilts his head.

“Stop that! You’re not allowed to be that damn cute!” he snaps and Dwight smiles at him, appreciating the compliment.

“Hold still, Ok?” Dwight says and carefully kneels over Franks hips and positions himself over his lap, Frank’s eyes not leaving him for a moment.

I watched from over Frank’s shoulder as Dwight slowly and carefully lowers himself down onto Frank’s shaft, closing his eyes and wincing as reaches back his arm to keep himself balanced. “Ah…” he sighs and Frank gasps while I find myself watching them with absolute focus.

Dwight’s abs are contracting as he sinks further and further down onto Frank but then he stops and places a hand on his stomach. “Oh…my…God…it’s so…deep…” Dwight’s eyes are wide, utterly shocked and Frank growls in his chest.

“You’re not even done yet…” he says and I feel this little tingle up my back as I remember my own reaction to his large member.

“Damn it…I can’t…” Dwight starts when I realize that his legs are shaking. “I can’t…stop…” he whimpers and falls forward, impaling himself completely on Frank and both men inhale sharply. Dwight leans forward and wraps his arms around Frank’s shoulders. “Kiss me!!” He pleads, his eyes begging as they glistened.

Frank went in to kiss him when I dug my teeth into his shoulder and he yelped, startling Dwight and making me laugh; the salty taste of his skin on my lips.

“You sneaky little bitch,” he snaps when Dwight leans over Frank’s shoulder and beckons me with his eyes.

“I’m feeling left out…” I whine and press my cheek against his shoulder when a gleam comes into his eyes.

“I can fix that,” he says when he suddenly slips his hands free of my grasp, my hair returning to its normal form unnoticed. Frank then pushes Dwight to lay on his back and that’s when he turns back to me. “Come here, get on top of him.”

I crawl over and Frank leans back so I can straddle Dwight’s hips, the head of his cock bumping into my thigh. Frank runs his hands over my butt and I shiver at the sensation, Dwight reaching up to my face.

“Ok, I’m gonna keep right on fucking you Dwight. (f/n)’s pussy is essentially going to act as lube for me since I can’t move without hurting you right now.” Frank says and Dwight turns his head.

“What do you mean? She’s…what?” he stutters and that’s when Dwight arches a little, closing his eyes as Frank begins to stroke him.

I let myself press my chest against Dwight’s and raise my hips up, reaching back with my hands to grab my cheeks and spread them for Frank to see and I’m rewarded with a whistle. “Damn…you’ve got such a pretty pussy,”

“Can a vagina be pretty?” I ask and am replied to with a sharp slap that makes me squeak.

“That was a warning (f/n), the only smartass around here is me.” Frank says then pokes my entrance with the head of Dwight’s cock. “Be sure to enjoy yourself, the wetter you are the better; no pun intended.”

“You’re such a turd,” I say when I begin to sit up, carefully and slowly pushing Dwight into my hole and making my insides ache to meet his size. “Ohhhh…I missed this.” I say and Dwight’s got that starry-eyed look again as he watches me.

“You’re always so beautiful…when you’re close like this…” he whispers, caressing my face and I lean into his hand like a cat. “I love you,”

“So do I,” Frank adds, biting my neck and making me sigh as I fully sheath Dwight inside of me.

“I love you both, as crazy as this place is…I’m so glad I have you.” I say and that’s when I feel Dwight’s hips move but by the look on Dwight’s face, that’s not his doing.

I look back and can just barely see that Frank is smearing the wetness from me around Dwight’s hole so he can start moving and he’s just barely pushed himself a little further in. I feel naughty shivers inside me and I gasp as I try to resist the urge to move but I can’t…I want to fuck him so badly and I don’t even think that’s Wicked’s doing now.

“Dwight…I need to move…” I say and slowly raise myself up before dropping down on it, pressing into and over my G-spot and making sparkles appear in my vision. I hum with joy as I start riding him, slowly at first but quickly gaining speed as I want to feel that pressure inside the lowest part of my stomach.

Dwight’s hands slide up my belly, tickling me as they go and I let out a long sigh as his hands grip my breasts; my nipples hidden by his warm palms.

“Your body is…breathtaking…” he says, lightly squeezing and caressing me when Frank begins peppering kisses on my neck and shoulder.

“Hell yeah it is, everything about you is breathtaking…” he adds and my face begins to flame.

“Stop it, you guys are so embarrassing.” I whine when Dwight’s eyes suddenly blow wide and he squeezes my boobs a little tight.

“Ugh! Frank!!” he exclaims when I feel something spill out into me and I shudder to a halt as I realize what it is.

Dwight just came inside me and I could feel it slowly seeping into me, the warmth spreading through my lower body made me wrap my arms around myself; trapping Dwight’s hands on my chest. I seemed to convulse and giggle mindlessly as I felt probably the gentlest orgasm, I’ve felt slowly make its way through my body, Dwight’s eyes finding me and a smile creeps onto his face.

“Did you just cum?” he asks and I nod, still quaking as my body begins to soothe into the afterglow. “I figured…you’re…squeezing me really hard. Sorry I didn’t warn you,” he says when his hands slap over his mouth and he whines as I hear Frank pull out of him behind me.

“Frank…” I ask when I feel a hand against my back and am pushed to lay on Dwight, trapping my arms against between us.

“Hold still…” he says when I feel something prod at my entrance and I fall completely still. “I’m gonna try something,” he says and I feel my hole stretch to allow the head of Frank’s dick to enter me, pressing up against Dwight’s and filling me completely.

“Ahh!” I whimper as my mind tries to decide what I’m feeling when an explosion of fire erupts in my lower back and shoots up my spine into the back of my skull and my mind becomes hazy. “Ohhhhh fuck…” I moan and push myself back, pushing Frank a little further into me.

My inner walls stretched to meet their combined size while I sighed and tried to focus on my lower stomach muscles to make them relax, my mouth hanging open like a zombie.

I could feel them rubbing together inside me, dually pounding into me and constantly stimulating my G-spot. Each move they made inside me sent stars shooting across my vision and I thought my head was actually spinning like Reagan from _The Exorcist_. There were so many feelings bouncing off the walls of my head that I seemed to lose the ability to speak. I was just moaning and making noises as I rode them like a porn star, this has got to be the best sex ever!! They’re the best!! EVER!!

“Augh! You guyzzzz…is so good!! Sssso deep…sssso big…Oh…ffffffffffuck!!” I moaned and just kept my hips moving, bouncing up and down on them when I felt their thrusting sync up and meeting my passes. The difference in size was secondary to me as I just knew that I was getting absolutely plowed and my G-spot was receiving a pummeling unlike ever before!

Dwight’s face is sweaty and bright red, I can even see a few tears leaking at the corners of his eyes as he watches me ride him.

“God damn, (f/n)! You are so fucking sexy!” I hear Frank groan, sweat actually trickling down my spine.

“I’m…getting close…” Dwight starts and Frank reach down.

“Not yet pretty boy, here hold her legs up.” He says and Dwight does as ordered.

He fumbles a little, his arms shaking but once he gets a grip on the back of my knees, he raises them up and this causes the position of their rods inside me to shift, making me suddenly fall rigid…I’m in the danger zone right now! “HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!”

I grab Dwight’s wrists and he freezes as I can feel the muscles in my lower belly are tensing up and seizing inside, another orgasm that’s so strong I think I blacked out for a second! I tremble and little whimpers and grunts escape me as I try to regain control of myself but…I can’t.

“Did you just cum again!?” Frank asks and I can’t manage to form words so I just nod my head.

Dwight gets this confused look on his face as a really hard quake flickers through my body and my hips jerk down, pressing them into me even harder.

“What…is that? I feel something…inside?” he says and I start moaning, the danger zone starting to take over my thoughts.

“Uhh…uuuwwaahhh. Mmmm, yes….pwease…mowr…uuughhh!!”

“I’ll give you an anatomy lesson later man, just know that we’re hitting it and she’s absolutely living for it. Right Bambi?” Frank teases and I nod enthusiastically.

“Uh-huh!! Uh-huh!!! Ssso good! I want more!!” I plead, letting my head rest against my shoulder as every other part of me is starting to go numb!

Dwight pushes his forehead into mine and to avoid burying his face in my hair, Frank pushed his chin against my shoulder. Dwight’s eyes are watering and he looks completely mesmerized as he holds my cheek.

“Do you want us to cum inside?” he asks and I felt something twitch within my epicenter at hearing him say something dirty without falter, completely taken over by lust; his voice rumbled in his chest and sent a fiendish thrill up my back.

“Yes! Yes, I want you both to cum inside me!!! Fill me up with it please!!!” I begged when Frank’s arm slammed into the ground beside Dwight’s shoulder and I felt his chest press against my back. They were both bottomed out inside of me and I felt my walls contract and rage as my orgasm started tearing through me like a bullet!

“Guys!!! I’m cumming!! Please, fuck me through it! I’m cum-UGH!!” I let out this drawn out noise that is somewhere between a whimper and a moan, losing my breath and this warm wash of energy spreads through every cell of my body. I can’t stop myself from clenching down on them so hard but I do and they simultaneously unload inside me, filling me to the point of it spilling out onto the dirt.

I inhale sharply as I feel this black haze fill my head and take over me.

_Lightweight…haha!_

“(f/n)?” I ask but she’s fallen onto her side, completely limp when she lets out this tiny little snort and Frank covers his mouth to keep from laughing. “She’s asleep? Is that bad?”

“Nah, I am pretty sure that’s a good thing. I think that means she really loves us. Good thing, otherwise this whole thing would be pretty damn awkward.” Frank says, standing up and cracking his back loudly. “Ahhh, damn I feel good!”

“Me too…” I say a little quieter as my eyes roam over his body, surveying his muscles and ghostly white skin. “Whoa…”

“What’s that?” he asks, turning to face me as he pulls his boxers up but I turn my face away.

“Nothing!” I yelp when I hear (f/n) moan beside me and I look over to see her stirring and her eyes fluttering. “Hey, welcome back.”

She sits up, her eyes half open and her face a soft pink color from the blush. Her hair has a bunch of small flyways and is tussled quite a bit. She seems pretty out of it when she places a hand against her belly and seems to squint at the ground then looks at both of us before falling back over, eyes rolling into the back of her head. For a split second I was worried, but then there was the tiny snort again and I relaxed.

“Wow…she’s spent.” Frank says and walks over, roughly grabbing her limbs and putting his hoodie onto her. It looked odd to see Frank without a hoodie on under his leather jacket, like something was missing. “Let’s take her to Jane’s and meet up with the others.”

“Right,” I start fixing my pants when there’s a loud bang that wakes (f/n) right away and we both turn to look at the woods nearby. Crows have taken flight and are crying as they escape whatever that was. “What the hell was that?”

“A gun,” (f/n) says and I turn back to see her glaring into the woods; this icy look in her (e/c) eyes. “That sounded like a gun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally 21k words long so I condensed it and will be prepping up the next two pieces for more chapters. I'm so glad you guys like it :3  
> Early Chapters will be available early through my Patreon :3


	7. Tormented Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Running from the sound of gunshots and with Wicked always providing commentary on everything you think and do, what will the future hold when a new face appears within the forest...and is someone hiding something?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

Frank carried me on his back as Dwight ran ahead, leading us to where Jane’s house was. I could feel the cum dripping out of me as he ran, making me shift uncomfortably.

“Hey, Bambi…you gotta quit moving.” He says but I can’t help it, the feeling of it slowly dripping out is making me itch and squirm because I can’t do anything about it.

“Sorry, you, me and Dwight need to have a conversation about not finishing _inside_ and then immediately going for a run!” I say, hearing Frank snicker as Dwight cast a wide eyed, red faced look back at us.

“Oh!! I’m sorry!! I got overexcited-”

“Can we talk about this later!!? We’re running from gunshots!!” Frank interrupts and Dwight turns front just in time to almost trip over an empty laundry basket laying on the ground; likely left behind by the group.

“Where is Jane’s house?!” I called out and Dwight points ahead.

“Not much further now!”

“Someone want to explain why we’re hearing gunshots?” Frank asks, jumping to dodge a Pustula that sprouted before our very eyes, the petals caressing my foot and making me jolt a little. “What’d I say about moving?”

My brain was still moving slowly after basically getting destroyed by my two favorite guys, my cheeks were still hot and my hips were aching terribly…but in a darkly enjoyable way.

_You nasty slut, you wanna go again!?_

“Wicked, can you please put a sock in it?!” I snapped, making Frank glance back at me for a moment.

_Ha, only if you put another cock in it! David was down to fuck, go for all three of them!!_

“Please don’t give me ideas…” I grumbled when I saw this massive building appear from within the trees.

The building was almost a mansion! It was a massive, luxurious contemporary house with sharp edges, glass walls and a huge pool that had likely once been a pristine, crystal clear blue but was currently brown, swampy and full of moss and lily pads.

“Maybe it’s another new Killer…like The Oni?” I say and Frank slows to just walking, turning to look into the woods.

“We should also entertain the idea that something is leaking in from the outside, Evan mentioned that something like that has happened before.” He says but Dwight turns towards us and shakes his head.

“Wouldn’t that be a good thing? If that keeps happening then maybe we can get out of here without that much trouble.” He offers hopefully when Laurie appears behind him.

“We won’t know until it happens, hurry; everyone else is already inside.” She turns and leads us into the house.

The front steps were thick brimstone and I clenched a little tighter around Frank’s neck as he started going up, I almost felt like I was going to fall. Walking in the faded maroon door we were greeted with a massive white coral chandelier. The foyer had this massive wooden staircase that lead up into the second level of the house. The wood was glossy and dark brown, the banister a lovely winding thing. That leads up and into the second level, the archways in the foyer are white marble with intricate wave-like designs. To the left, there was a blinding granite laden kitchen and to the right, there was a large den where everyone else was sitting; Jane walking around and ensuring everyone had a glass of water.

Meg and Claudette were sitting with Jake, still dressing his loosely stinted leg, Nea leaning on the wall beside the front window. Laurie went over and stood beside Bill who was standing with Ace, smoking. Feng was sitting beside Quentin and Tapp on a black couch. Adam was leafing through a book from Jane’s shelf behind them. Jeff and Ash were sitting beside Nancy who was holding a glass of water with trembling hands, her head down.

“Good, you guys are alright.” Nea said stepping forward, keeping her arms crossed.

“Pfft, they are more than alright.” David starts, covering his mouth.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Nea snaps.

“Look behind Frank,” he points at Frank’s feet and I bury my face into Frank’s shoulder and the back of his neck as Feng’s voice reached me; a gasp.

“Oh! Um…”

“Anyone in this room says a word and someone dies now!” I snap and Frank begins snickering and snorting as he resists his laughter.

“Oh, my fucking God…I love you, Bambi.” He says and I dig my face into his shoulder harder, hiding how red my face was now. Nothing will ever embarrass me again…for as long as I live.

“Ok, I think we’ve had enough time to cool down and…relax.” Jane says, casting an uncomfortable gaze at me.

 _Please…fuck everyone in this room_.

“Someone kill me.” I whispered and Frank lightly tapped my butt behind his back.

“We should take a moment and get acquainted with our new friend.” Jane gestures at the foyer and I turned to look over my shoulder to see Yui standing there, holding a steaming mug.

“I think I’ve already gotten acquainted with this one,” she points at me and leans against the archway. “My name is Yui Kimura, I’d say it’s nice to meet you…but I have no clue where we are or what’s going on. Yours are the first friendly faces I’ve seen.” She says, casting tired eyes at us.

“You showed up at one hell of a time girl,” Meg says and Yui tilts her head. “We’re in the process of trying to escape…emphasis on trying.” She says when Jake lets out a hiss of pain and she turns back to him. “Sorry,”

“Of course, out of curiosity?” She says then points at me. “You, I’d like to know why you thanked me before. I’ve never met you before and I’d surely remember a girl who’s dripping like a used onahole.” She says and no one but Jake, Dwight and Quentin lowered their heads.

“What’s an-” Laurie starts but Bill places a hand on her shoulder.

“No…no.” he says and Laurie falls quiet.

“Frank, you can put me down now.” I say and he carefully lets me down, my foot squishing a little, making me clench my jaw. I refuse to acknowledge my own depravity at this point, I just refuse.

_Um…hey-_

“Shut the fuck up,” I say and Yui raises both her eyebrows when I hold up my hands; realizing what I just said. “Wait a second,”

Yui drops her mug, shattering it and starts towards me when Joey, Julie, Susie and Frank all appear out of nowhere and block me off to her; surprising her into backing up one step but not backing down. I rushed forward and immediately slipped and almost fell but I caught myself on Joey’s shoulder.

“Dude, you stepped in jizz.” Joey says and I close my eyes before pulling my hand off his shoulder.

“I know,” I turned to her, her arms crossed over her pink tube top.

Yui was a fierce and beautiful woman, confident and intimidating; she reminded me of Julie quite a lot save for how warm Julie has always been with me. My mind unintentionally flashed back to having sex with Julie and Susie and I shook my head to clear it of the image; fortunately, Wicked didn’t put her two cents in this time.

“I’m sorry Yui, I wasn’t talking to you…it’s going to be tough to explain but if you’ll hear me out, I can give you the really, _really_ condensed version.” I offer and she leans against the wall again, glaring at me but she nods.

“Ok…my name is (f/n) I came here maybe two months ago, similar to you; I just appeared here and was getting chased by a monster. We know them as Killers here,” I say and I feel this sense of apprehension on my tongue.

I’ve only been here for two months (maybe) and everyone else, save for Yui, has been here much longer than I have. If anything, they should be telling this story…but none of the really crazy stuff started until I showed up.

“There’s this thing that controls this place, The Entity; it brought us here. It brings people here to feed off of our souls, it has developed this system through trial and error over who knows how long. Days are short and when night falls, four are chosen to enter what we call Trials and face a Killer, fighting for survival until daylight.” I say and her face has yet to move so I continue. “We’re in the middle of one now and apparently we’re also in the midst of something called The Hallowed Blight, that part isn’t nearly as important as what we’re currently trying to do. This place is falling apart because we’ve been starving The Entity; without power it can’t keep this place going. We can’t heal in an instant like we used to, this whole reality is cracking apart and we can hurt Killers now.” I say and there’s this small ripple behind me.

“I’ll explain later, but it’s true.” Quentin whispers behind me.

“We just recently figured this out but, apparently something that happened to me when I was a kid had a huge effect on this place, causing a massive tidal wave of changes that they’ve known as life for a long time. The Entity tried to claim the man who killed my parents and kidnapped me, as a Killer for this place…but I killed him first.” I said and Yui’s eyebrow twitched.

I started remembering how my palms burned as I squeezed the branch tight, how the bones in my tiny arms had buzzed with every strike to his head, the tiny flecks of heat that hit my legs as his blood splattered around.

_Mm…childhood trauma…yummy_

I cleared my throat and continued, ignoring Wicked’s commentary. “As punishment for interfering with its games, I was meant to be taken as well but I was still just a kid…so it took part of my soul. That piece of me was the piece that drove me to kill that man; it was brought here and left in another Survivor. That Survivor died when that piece became sentient and burst from her body, she was then dubbed…Wicked.

_That’s me!_

I snickered and Yui tilted her head. I stopped smiling and shook my head again. “Sorry, Wicked and I have…come to an understanding of sorts so now she’s back in my body and I have her powers…so it seems. She can touch people and learns everything that they know, she also has this other power…um…” I start when I look down and Yui follows my eyes.

She immediately springs from the wall and backs up. My hair had grown longer and slithered across the floor without a sound, collecting the shattered pieces of her mug and placing them in a nearby trash bin. Once my hair returned to its normal length, Yui looked up at me again. “That’s how I know how to speak Japanese now and that’s why she thanked you, she’s trying to be nice but…it just comes off sounding sinister.”

_Bitch! I’m trying my best here, fuck you!_

“I said you were trying,” I snapped and Yui had yet to move before I took a deep breath. “Anyways…that’s the best way I can summarize this. This story is way too long to just explain in a few minutes.”

“Ok…” Yui starts, stepping closer and lightly tapping her foot in the puddle her mug had left behind. “So, you’re something of a superhero?”

“Um,” I started when Frank put a hand on my shoulder.

“Please, don’t inflate her ego. It’s bad enough with Wicked making her act a little bipolar.” He quickly looks down at me and smiles, his duo-colored eyes making my heart stutter. “She’s still cute though, right Dwight?” he asks and Dwight covers his mouth, his face turning pink.

I smile and offer a hand to Yui, hoping that all will be well now that she’s got at least a small idea of what’s going on here.

She eyes me carefully for a moment before letting out a breath and shaking my hand, her long purple nails slightly grazing the skin on the back of my hand.

“Nice to meet you…sorry, for calling you an onahole.” She said, scratching the back of her neck.

“Don’t be…that’s…something else that you just haven’t had to learn yet.” I say when her smile fades a bit.

“What do you mean?” she asks but is interrupted by another shot ringing out; louder and closer than before!

There’s this shriek of shattering glass and Jake lets out a scream that sends my heart plummeting into the floor.

“NEA!!”

I turned on my heel and saw Nea standing with a massive and rusting harpoon sticking out of her chest! It had a long chain of a tail that lead outside from behind her, her face immediately pale and her eyes wide in shock. She has her hands raised up, shaking as she frets to touch it when the chain grows taught and pulls her out the window she’d been standing in front of!

Things descended into chaos as Jake rushed to get up but his leg made this muffled crunch sound and he collapsed, tears streaming down the sides of his face as he called out for Nea. The rest of the group started rushing to the door but Julie and Joey stopped them.

“Get out of the way!!” David yelled.

“No can do,” Julie says.

“Nea is number three, if one more of you gets taken then The Entity will have what it needs to end the Trial and all our work will mean nothing.” He says when we hear Nea start screaming outside, this horrible high-pitched sound.

“Please, don’t let them take her!!” Jake begs, his voice rasping with sobs.

_Oi, I have something to say!!_

“Not now, Wick.” I say in a hushed tone but she wrenches control from me for a split second and shoves into my lower back, jerking me forward. “Ah!”

_Yes, now!! Trust me on this one!!_

I feel another jolt into my lower back and I come to a small realization that sends a chill up my back. I grind my teeth together and brace myself as I let Wicked take control of my body and it’s like a gun going off and I’m the bullet.

I start forward and shove Meg aside, knocking her into a decorative vase; the vase breaking. I take a running leap out the window and roll through the landing, getting my back all muddy and am drenched in mere seconds. The sky is almost completely black and the clouds rumble with thunder and lightning every few seconds. Sheets of rain are almost drowning the forest and I can see the figure not far from me that has Nea like a struggling fish on a line.

Nea is fighting with all her might but the sharp hooks on the tip of the harpoon stab and tear at her flesh, leaving a bloody trail through the mud.

The figure pulling her along is this tall, skinny man with a long brown coat, black pants and boots. One leg has a knee brace on it that squeaks as he takes a firm step backwards, pulling Nea closer to him. His face is obscured by a large brown cowboy hat with a flat brim and round top, but I could see his hair was a little longer than shoulder length and ghostly white.

I felt Wicked fully take the reigns of my body and I braced myself as she sprang forward like an animal; moving faster than I thought my body could go on all fours! She suddenly springs into the air, launching at this man and he blocks the claws with his rifle!

I take control of my arms and grasp at his shoulders, digging my claws into the worth leather jacket, slicing through it and into his flesh. I raise my eyes as he presses the side of his gun against my collarbone, trying to pry me off. I wrap my legs around his hips and pull him in, locking my ankles behind his back and glare into the glowing white eyes of The Entity’s latest visitor.

His face was boxlike, a once strong jawline had softened with age and the entire right cheek was concave, flesh torn and red with irritation. His wrinkles were harshened by what appeared to be black grease and his eyes were dark purple, sunken in almost like a zombie. His eyes were wide, white and visibly glowing. His nose was long, straight and pointed. He had a light beard and mustache on his face that spoke of the old West. His lips were cracked and dry looking, as if the man hadn’t even _glimpsed_ a glass of water in eons!

Despite the clearly unkind age that has assaulted this mans face and veiny hands, the power I felt against my collarbone warned not to underestimate him just because he looks old.

With a crunch, his entire right jaw shifted drastically downwards as he opened his mouth to chuckle at me, sending this dark thrill up my back. I glared into those glowing eyes when Nea, managed to get to her side with a loud splat in the mud behind me.

I was distracted by turning to look at her and in one fluid motion, this man pushed the gun hard against my collar bone and threw me backwards, rolling me over and over in the mud. I felt caked in it and could taste the bitterness of some of it getting into my mouth.

I spat it out and turned back just in time to see this man bring Nea to his feet and he placed a heavy black boot onto her shoulder, causing her to whine and struggle to push it off now. He held his rifle in one hand and raised his other hand to his mouth; pushing his fingers into his mouth and letting out a loud whistle into the trees.

My heart stumbled as the sound of hooves began thundering closer and I turned to see this ghastly thing come racing up from behind me. I threw myself down to avoid being trampled by it and got some mud splashing into my open eyes as its hooves slapped the ground as it blew by me.

Wicked let out this loud hissing sound as she shook her head violently, scratching at my eyes to clear them. I managed to get one eye open; blurry vision but I could make out where the massive grey horse had gone and it was right to him.

I rushed to clear my other eye and once I had, I clearly recognized that horse I’d seen when I first came here! That grey, corpse on four legs with maggot ridden gums and green, slimy teeth was looking at me with it’s third eye as this man dragged Nea closer but then detached the chain from his weapon and wrapped it around the neck of the horse. I’m amazed that the damn thing didn’t just keel over right then and there and I heard more commotion behind me. I turned to see that Bill, David and Tapp were trying to follow me.

“STOP!” I shouted over the rain and they froze, almost stepping off the porch. “Please, listen to them! They know what they’re talking about!” I cried out but I don’t even know what I meant by that.

_I said to trust me, damn it!! Do you want to lose her?!_

I bit my tongue and turned back to see that man mount the horse and smirk at me, his crooked jaw making my temper flare.

_Cocky bastard_

I ground my teeth as he led the horse off into the woods, dragging Nea through the dirt behind him and I immediately started after him. I felt like I was moving faster than a car, the woods speeding past me in blurs of orange and black. I had to blink almost constantly to keep my eyes from blurring, the rain was so vicious and the growing wind wasn’t helping any.

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel even a little cold; I felt like I was a massive ball of fire! I was blazing through the woods, following close behind him when he twisted in his place and took aim at me. I prepared to dodge when there was a loud rumble and he hesitated, clearly lowering his rifle. I darted up towards Nea and launched myself into the air, Wicked taking aim for the chain above Nea’s head.

_Once swipe and that chain is dust!_

I braced myself for the jarring sensation I expected to follow when an earth-shaking rumble overhead was promptly followed by another loud shot and I was thrown backwards. I thought I had whiplash from how hard I’d been thrown backwards and so suddenly when I hit something solid, my head bouncing against it and sending painful crackles all across my scalp.

I gasped as all the air in my chest seemed to whoosh from my lungs and I gasped in tiny, frantic breaths; trying to breathe. Wicked snarled in my throat and raised my eyes, watching as that man reloaded his gun and I saw that there was no chain attached to the harpoon he’d shot me with. I reached back with a hand and realized that he’d pinned me to a tree with that shot, this harpoon seeming longer and much older than the last, rust chipping at the entry point of my chest.

I felt both Wicked and I brace as we came to the same conclusion with a deafening thunder clap above us; knowing full well how much this was going to hurt! I closed my eyes when Wicked suddenly elongated my hair to wildly splash into the mud all around us and tangle in the branches above. Just then, lighting flashed behind my eyes. My body lit up like a firework and I had this horrible, sickeningly delightful memory of Carter shocking me after fucking me up the ass as volts were just dumped into my body from above.

Convincing the others to stay behind was difficult enough, everyone started trying to rush outside after (f/n) took off but explaining why she could go did the trick.

(f/n) has Wicked so she’s not like the other Survivors, she’s basically a Survivor with Killer powers…which is kinda hot. This fact makes me almost sure that she’s safe if she were to be targeted, Nea on the other hand is purely Survivor and she is now the third person up on the chopping block. We still haven’t found Kate or Nancy’s friend Steve and we don’t even know where to start looking for those two.

(f/n) had raced out the window and looked like an absolute beast when challenging that guy, but once they went into the trees, I couldn’t see anymore. Once we’d convinced the others to stay and barricade themselves, lest other Killers try to pull the same kind of stunt; we went out after her.

Joey and Julie were with me while Susie kept pace beside me. The rain was just coming down in buckets-no, bathtubs-and we were soaked!

“Frank, I think I like snow better!” Susie yells and I laugh.

“That’s because it never rained in Ormond, it was either snow or slush and slush can still be shoveled!” I said when I heard this low groan to the right of me and I skidded to a halt. “Bambi!”

(f/n) was pinned against a tree with one of those spears in her chest and she was twitching and rasping but alive. I ran over and yanked the metal out of her chest, dropping her to the ground but I caught her before she slumped over and coddled her against my chest.

There were several gnarly chunks of flesh on her body, yellowed with burns and red with blood; stinking of burnt flesh. Her eyes were closed and her hair seemed almost completely fine when before my eyes, her wounds began to recede.

“Whoa…” Susie breathed behind me.

We watched as the flesh returned to a healthy (s/c) and the wound in her chest began to close as well. Her flesh knitted itself together like a basket made of human muscles and skin. As soon as that wound closed up and the irritation faded to nothing, her eyes began to flutter and she looked up at me actually making my heart jump a little bit. One eye was her beautiful (e/c) color and the other was pitch black…Wicked.

“Bambi?” I asked and she gasped and sat up, out of my arms.

“Nea!?” she asked with the slightest of familiar rumbles in her voice.

“She’s gone,” Susie said and pointed ahead. “I’ll bet it’s wherever that cloud of black smoke is coming from…wait…is that-?”

“Daylight?!” I say as my eyes find that tower of black smoke…backed by an orange and purple sunrise! “The Trials…over?”

“No,” (f/n) says and I turned to see her struggling to stand up so I scoot back to give her room, ignoring the mud soaking into my pants. “Wicked says…there’s still time…because…” she finally manages to stand and the look in her eyes actually makes goosebumps rise up on my skin. “It’s a stubborn thing, won’t settle for less than four souls, anything less won’t allow for it to keep the Realms going.”

“What are you saying?” I ask and I can see that mostly Wicked is in control as her normal eye starts to darken.

“I’ve been keeping this a secret because I needed an ace in the hole in case things continued to get worse and they have.” She says, straightening her back and both eyes now completely blacked out. “Don’t worry, I’m still here…but you guys have to hear this from her.” (f/n)’s voice but Wicked’s eyes.

My heart sank but I kept my face stoic, Joey appearing beside us to speak for me. “So…what’s this secret?”

“The Entity uses fragments of souls to keep people alive for as long as possible and to ensure it’s got a food source. If it just drank away every one of us until it was satisfied, then humans would have gone extinct long ago. It’s so desperate to survive that it’s throwing new people into this place…hoping that the close bond built between current Survivors will ensure the ‘newbies’ are left to slaughter.” She says and Susie gasps, Julie appearing at my other side.

“Exactly how do you know this? None of the Killers can hear Whispers since this began.” Julie asked.

“Do you know that those ‘flowers’ aren’t just plants?” she asks and I almost heard the light flicker to life in my head.

“The Entity,” I say and she nods.

“Those ‘flowers’ are pieces of it, connected to it…my foot touched the one you saw on the way to Jane’s. It’s going to drain whoever gets sacrificed dry so it can start rebuilding this place and will continue to do so in the coming hours; a Survivor genocide. Doesn’t matter who it is, but it anticipates Dwight and company to act like previous visitors and purposefully sacrifice others to save their own skin.” She says and lowers her head, wincing. “We have time…to save Nea…to save everyone…ngh!” she cries and falls to her knees.

I rush to her and her eyes are clearing up, the edges brimming with black but (f/n) is very much in front of me now. “Hey…”

“I…I don’t know…” she says, fighting against sobbing as tears pour down her cheeks. “I don’t know…if I can do this. There are so many lives on the line and…I’m scared of what might happen. Wicked knows so many things and I can’t even process half of it…but I know what’s going to happen soon…I’m scared!! I don’t want to fail us but I don’t want to let this thing keep dragging people into this place!! People look for us, people miss us!! Joseph and Tiffany are probably worried sick about me… _I’m_ worried about me!! Yui is wrong, I’m no hero…I’m just a freaked-out slut whose only use is being someone’s condom.” She pushes her head roughly into my shoulder and I sigh, rubbing her back and thinking of what to say.

“Hey,” I start but she doesn’t raise her head. “Bambi,” I say a little louder and she raises her head, looking up at me with the saddest expression I’ve ever seen on her perfect face. “Come on, you and I both know that you’re not gonna throw in the towel now; not after everything you’ve been through. You’re not doing this alone either, we’re all with you… _I’m_ with you.” I say, reaching up and holding her wet cheeks in my hands.

“Yeah…you are, aren’t you?” she says, something flickering across her eyes but I kiss her forehead, making her close her eyes.

“The other Survivors have to stay behind because we can’t risk losing another one of them, maybe you should go back too?” I ask but she shakes her head.

“Wicked says that because she’s inside my body, I’m safe from being Sacrificed.” She says, not looking at me and Joey chimes in with snap.

“She’s a killer, maybe it doesn’t like how our dirty souls’ taste.” He says and Susie giggles.

“Yeah,” (f/n) says, still looking at the ground.

“Alright then, we’ll go get Nea and bring her back to the group…then we’ll plan our next move from there, let’s hurry. Can you stand?” I ask and she raises her head but still doesn’t look at me, standing up.

“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s go, I don’t know anything about this guy so let’s get going.” (f/n) says and I agree, turning towards the sun, still feeling that unease in my belly as Julie and Joey rejoin me.

That upset was caused by me realizing that Wicked can come out anytime she wants to. I thought (f/n) was just debating weather or not to take off but if Wicked knew all that stuff about The Entity…then why’d she rush to take off after that thing? She’s up to something…and I’m more worried for (f/n) than ever before.

_Don’t start getting cold feet on me now, you know what will happen if we don’t do this._

“I know…I’m just…nervous.” I whisper as I fall in behind Frank and Susie.

_Stop being nervous…everyone will get what they want when this is over…I promise you that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :3  
> got a special surprise tomorrow :3 (well, it's a surprise to everyone not in my discord...btw, why aren't you in my discord?)


	8. At What Cost?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venturing into Glenvale, the Realm of this unknown man wielding a gun; will they escape The Redeemer or will they fall like so many before them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

Frank picked me up onto his back and turned to face the other members of The Legion.

“Susie, I want you to scout ahead since you’re the only one who can go away from us and not be bothered now. Look around but stay hidden, let us know what you find and meet us at the end of this path once you can.” He says and Susie nods, donning her mask and taking off on her own, Joey looking after her with a tenseness in his shoulders.

_Ugh…gag me with a spoon._

“Can it, Wicked.” I snap and Frank smiles before looking back to Joey and Julie, the two walking forward but fading further and further into nothing as they draw closer. By the time they reach Frank, they’re gone and I feel a small chill in my body and I shiver.

“Don’t like the cold?” he asks and I rest my chin against his shoulder.

“Not particularly. Also, you don’t have to carry me, I can just give Wicked control of my legs and I can keep up.” I say but he furrows his brow at me, his grip on my legs tightening.

“I really don’t think you should be putting so much faith in her, she’s dangerous.” He says and starts forward as Wicked giggles darkly inside.

I ignored her and watched as the woods flew by me, colors blurring and dragging across my vision. I could see those blurs of orange smudge across the dark brown of the trees and everything was smoked out with the white fog that drifted around us like a monster lying in wait.

By the time I thought to blink again, we were at my house and Frank was setting me down on my porch step. The familiar concrete against my bare feet actually settling my twisted nerves a little bit.

“You should probably dress for the occasion, this night’s already pretty long and it’s not getting any shorter.” He says, looking over to see Joey and Julie milling about like sheep, waiting.

I go inside and head upstairs, straight to my room and my closet. Getting totally naked had become nothing to me, I no longer minded who saw my body; I was still debating on if that was just something I developed or me submitting to being a fuck toy here.

_Likely the latter_

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?” I snap and start digging for something to wear.

_I’m feeling edgy…got any string thongs?_

“Why? You really think skimpy underwear is going to excite a fucking cowboy?” I growl and shake my head, clearing it of her voice.

_Jeez, fine; you pick_

“That’s the plan,” I roll my eyes.

I chose a white tank top with a racerback and a black bralette with mesh cups and a red rose embroidery over my breasts. I layered that under a plain (f/c) flannel and buttoned two buttons; hiding the intricate bra.

_White tank top, black bra…talk about advertising your goods_

“Wicked…” I sigh and drop to my knees, I can feel Wicked seeming confused by my actions. “Please…can you stop. This may be fun and games to you…this is survival for us…don’t you get that?”

_Alright…I’ll just stick my thumb up my ass and let you do this alone!_

“Must you be such a massive bitch all the time!? Do you not know the word compassion? I’m freaking the fuck out; pain doesn’t affect you like it affects me! I’m also not too wild about having to force myself to fuck every enemy that crosses my path!!”

_Alright, alright, I get it! You are the most prudish slut I’ve ever met._

I feel some piece of me thinking on just hanging myself and getting this over with but she backpedaled really quick.

_Kidding, just kidding._

There’s this long pause and she pushes a sigh out of my lungs.

_Look, you and I are connected right now. We know everything each other knows; I’m used to having all the answers…you’re not._

I press my back against the wall and bring my knees into my chest. “You actually sound like you’re trying to help me.”

_Shut up, I’m trying to be nice here. Listen, I know it can be overwhelming but just bear with me. It’s going to be hard but look at the big picture…freedom from this hell and a dead Entity. I’m pretty sure we’d all be happy at that point._

“Yeah…” My voice is low as I’m lost in my own thoughts when Wicked chimes in again.

_Ooh, do you have any jeans? Those are very country!_

“I don’t think they had blue denim back then.” I say but get up and start digging for the only pair of jeans I own.

Well worn in and comfy, they’re also rather fit to my legs so it’ll make my butt look nice. I top off this look with my brown faux leather boots that cut off at just above my knee. These were usually yard working boots but I figure they would be durable and if we found another flood zone like before, I’d be able to keep my feet dry…for a while anyways.

I heard a board creak and turned to see Frank standing in my doorway. “Hey,” I say and his eyes scan over my body.

“Hey, you look great. Do the jeans mean you’re not going to…you know…” he trails off?

“I’m honestly going to avoid that if I can, keep him as distracted with me as possible so you can get Nea out of there.” I say and pull my hair back a bit when Wicked hisses to me.

_Half up half down ponytail, he’s a country boy and they like long hair._

I start doing as she says when Frank nods at me, his hands on his hips. “That’s good, good plan.” He mutters, not looking at me.

_Hmm, somethings bothering him…_

“What is it?” I say and he looks at me, his brow and jaw tensed; he’s angry.

“Can Wicked hear me?” he asks, his volume startling me a little.

“Yes…why are you raising your voice at me?” I ask, standing up and he just shakes his head.

“I don’t know exactly what is going on here, but you had better leave (f/n) alone. I don’t like how comfortable you’ve gotten being besties with her!” he says, yelling at me but not at the same time…ahhh, this is confusing.

I feel Wicked slide into place, one of my eyes growing blurry for a moment and my vocal cords begin rubbing as she starts taking control to speak.

“I don’t have complete control, (f/n) is loosening the reigns a little…I’m still chained down, if you will.” She giggles but abruptly stops and my face drops the smile. “I’m not long for her body anyways, so keep your shorts on.”

“What the hell does that mean? You’re not long for her body…” He says, crossing his arms over his chest.

“(f/n) and I are two sides of the same coin. I am merely a piece of her that was a stolen a long time ago. Now that I’m home…I will slowly become part of her again, I’ll lose this sentience and slowly cease being a separate entity to her. We’ll be one and the same, sure she’ll have more of a potty mouth and maybe a little wicked kink here and there, but nothing should change too much. We’re the same being anyways, it shouldn’t be too drastic a change.” She ponders aloud, sitting down on my bed and crossing her legs.

“There’s more to it than that,” he says and I shake my head.

“Not really,” I start and Frank glares at me, not angry but frustrated.

“Stop defending her (f/n)!” he shouts and again, I jump; Wicked laughs.

“Oh ho-ho, smart boy can tell who’s talking. Congrats, you get a cookie.” She sneers with a wrinkle of her nose.

“You said that you knew what The Entity was driving at, if that’s true…why chase after her? Why not just tell us from the start? You went after him for a reason but you’re keeping it to yourself because you’re up to something, so I suggest you start talking.” He warns and Wicked casts him a sly look, not even taking a moment to deliberate with me.

“Fine, ya got me. Yes, I knew what was going to happen but I went after Nea because I needed to know who and what we were dealing with at the time. I now have that information and a plan to use what I’ve learned to my benefit; this plan will help everyone and all I ask for is a little trust.”

“I don’t trust your sketchy ass anymore than I can throw it.” He says, his icy stare unwavering.

“Kinky, just trust (f/n) then. I wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for her, she’s practically a mom to me.” Wicked says and Frank grabs the front of my shirt, dragging me closer.

“You really don’t have any room to talk about mothers; your last so-called mother was eviscerated when you arrived here.” He says and she quirks an eyebrow at him, pushing his hands off my chest.

“OH, don’t even start with me about moms. How many times did your mother leave you at daycare for an extra 3 hours because she was too coked out to remember she even had a kid?” She laughs in his face and he slams her into the wall, keeping her there with his hands on her shoulders.

“You were thrown into The Void by the very being that gave you power to begin with and you expect me to believe you won’t turn on (f/n) too?” he asks her in a menacingly low tone.

“Yes,” No hesitation…just yes!?

Frank scoffs angrily and starts pacing back and forth, my body growing tense.

“Frank, I know you don’t trust her…but please, trust _me_. We have a plan.” I interject and that earns me an incredulous stare as he grasps my shoulders, but allowing me to step away from the wall.

“We?” He starts and I swallow hard. “Since when is there a _we_?”

“Frank, I know she’s done some awful things but trust that-” he cuts me off.

“No, I won’t. I’ve been getting told to trust people who don’t deserve it since I was six. I know _exactly_ who I can and can’t trust and I **_cannot_** trust her! My trust is earned, its not free.” Wicked suddenly seizes control and shoves him against the wall, startling me for the third time since this exchange began.

“Wick, what are you doing?” I manage before she takes over again.

“That’s your problem, Frankie boy; you never matured past 13 so all you know how to do is be angry and horny. Pepper in your coked-out parents and all those wonderful foster homes, you’ve got a psychopathic personality.” She taunts him, miming how she shoots a syringe into her vein and Frank snaps.

He punches her and she hits the floor, breathing heavy in surprise when she raises her head. This bitch just got me punched!!! Her glare does not mirror my feelings at all and she’s just being a huge cunt by frustrating Frank like this.

She raises her head to him and smiles, despite the blood dripping from my chin. Frank steps back, seeming still very angry but his eyes get big and he opens his mouth but no sound comes out.

“Everything you ever come in contact with gets destroyed, you smother everything you claim to love because you’re too scared to let it go. Whether you intend it or not, you’re a killer to your very core.” Wicked’s voice buzzes in my throat and I know her words were directed at him…but I feel it resonate in my heart as well.

Growing up at Joseph’s was a blessing but I never made any friends because I was too clingy to him, I didn’t dare branch out. I didn’t want to run the risk of Joseph forgetting me and moving on without me so I clung to him like a scared child and he enabled it because I was damaged goods. I wonder how many things I’ve made him miss out on because I didn’t want to be alone, how many times he’s had to make excuses on my behalf.

With the guilt pooling in my belly, Wicked snickered; somewhat relishing in the double-edged sword her words carried.

Tears begin welling up in my eyes, blurring my image of Frank. “Keep it up and you’ll end up exactly where you so desperately want to avoid being; alone. Try to remember whose body this is, baby.” She sneers that last word at him and relinquishes control to me, making me inhale sharply. I fall forward and nearly hit my head against the floor; tears dripping from my cheeks.

My cheek is throbbing with pain and once I raise my head, Frank rushes to my side; sliding on his knees beside me. He touches my shoulder but almost immediately recoils as if I were a flame and starts sputtering.

“Nonononono! (f/n) this wasn’t…I didn’t mean…that…that wasn’t meant for you!! Wicked…she…” he panics, caught between wanting to hold me and not daring to touch me.

“Ssh…” I whisper, pulling him close and holding him tight; his heart is racing terribly fast. “I know…she…she’s a massive bitch.”

_Hey!_

“I…I didn’t want to be a killer…things just…have a tendency to fall apart around me.” He says, his voice low, his forehead pressed against my shoulder as I stroke the back of his head.

“Don’t let her get to you, she’s poking the wolf because she can. There is one thing that she is right about though,” I say and he raises his head to look at me. “We have a plan…I can’t tell you what it is yet but I-not Wicked-I am asking you to please trust my judgement.” I smile and tilt my head a little and he closes his eyes, sighing with defeat and letting his forehead hit my shoulder again.

“Fine…” he says, almost completely deflated but he puffs up again and lightly touches my shoulder. “But Wicked…” he starts and I feel her perk up to listen. “If you hurt my girl…I promise to make you suffer for it.”

“Noted,” she says and lightly pats his shoulder before backing off again.

Frank pulls me close and starts peppering kisses all over the cheek he hit and I can see the panic in his eyes still, I wait for a few more kisses before placing a hand on his chest and smiling at him.

“Stop worrying Frank, I know you would never hurt me.” I say and he pulls me back in and continues kissing me. I’m not going to stop him so I decide to just sit there and bask in his love until he’s satisfied, I have no complaints being showered with kisses.

After he’d gotten his fill and my face wasn’t nearly as red as a moment ago, we rejoin the others outside and Frank insists again upon carrying me. I hold on tight as he sprints into the woods with me on his back, racing towards that tower of black smoke in the air.

The closer we got, the clearer I could see the black mixing with the grey and then dissipating the higher up it went. This was the first time I’d seen the sun and felt uneasy as it seemed trapped where it sat; resting at the very edge of the horizon. Teetering on the edge of twilight and nightfall, the glare from that image didn’t hurt my eyes as I expected it to. The false light seemed to fade into a soft orange and then abruptly into a muted lavender sky…dotted with stars.

“Stars…” I mutter and Frank seems to notice it then.

“I guess that means this place really is falling apart, those are way too pretty to be here.” He then pats my leg. “Then again, you’re here Bambi,” he says and Julie cuts in.

“Frank either pull off and fuck her again or shut up, this sappy shit is starting to make me sick.” She snaps and Joey laughs.

“Ha, someone’s jealous.”

“Suck a fat one Joey,” she retorts.

“I volunteer as tribute!” Frank jokes when my eyes find Julie again and a pang of unease hits me.

_(f/n)…come on…_

I don’t say anything, just nod my head and steel my resolve. I spend the next few moments trying to quell my nerves, then I see the changes.

The dense forest almost abruptly transforms into a dusty plain of sand and dry earth. Tumbleweeds blowing around like a massive hamster ball made of black spider legs. There was a huge rectangular sign; rusty as it was dusty, held up by blackened chains. _Glenvale_ , it reads in white western font.

Frank stops near the sign and lets me down, the dust immediately coating the toes of my boots. The wooden posts that held up that sign were tall and skinny, so dried out looking that I’m amazed they were still standing, let alone holding up a heavy metal sign. The surface looked almost white from being sun-bleached for so long. I reached out and tapped my fingernails on it, feeling no little echoes within it and confirming that it was a solid piece of wood.

Beside the left post was a vulture, settled on a barrel into his dark brown plumage; welcoming all who come here with a glare. Behind the vulture was a massive building with a wraparound deck and balcony. The wood banisters were broken in a few places and some were crooked, some weren’t even there anymore. Above that I could see the roof shingles were peeling back and almost seeming to curl away from the building, like an angry cat puffing up its fur.

“Get down!” Frank whisper yelled and tackled me behind the vulture’s barrel, causing the creature to puff up his feathers at us but fortunately not cry out.

Peeking out, I could see that man slowly walking the streets; his gun at the ready and searching for someone. Nea must have escaped since I don’t immediately see or hear her.

I looked back and could see that to the right of the sign was a tall wooden platform with a set of stairs beside it. My eyes trailed upward and I quickly realized that it wasn’t a platform…it was gallows! There were two bodies already strung up, burlap sacks over their heads. I shivered when I recognized the green sweater and jean shorts!

“Frank, its Kate and Steve!!” I point and he sighs quietly as he follows my gaze.

“Oh…that’s good and bad. Good because our targets are all in one place…bad because, well all our targets are in one place.” Frank mutters, likely wondering the same thing I was; how are we going to rescue them all?

“I don’t see Nea, Susie or Cowboy-Creep-Bop anywhere.” Julie says and Joey swats her upside the head making her whip around and punch his shoulder. “Ouch!”

“Don’t you _dare_ disrespect Cowboy Bebop; he looks nothing like Spike and you know it.” Joey starts when Frank raises a hand for silence.

“Guys, get it together…he looks way more like Ed,” he adds with a smirk and Joey looks like he’s about to have an aneurism, when a loud shot derails that conversation right away.

Peeking out from our hiding spot, near the center of this pathetic excuse for a town I can see the man; reeling in his spear gun, the tines of which are dragging through the dust. I wonder what or who he may have been shooting at, so I follow the direction in which is spear was coming from and spotted the smallest of green flashes for a split second. I saw a tiny scrap of green fabric through one of the worn out walls of the saloon. Nea is inside that building somewhere, dodging this guy somehow when Wicked whispers to me, like The Entity once did.

_Urban Evasion_

Ah…I see, she’s using a Perk. My body feels tense but I know what I have to do if they’re gonna get out of here. I tap Frank’s shoulder and he looks at me, gesturing with a toss of my head at that building and mouthing ‘Nea’ to him. He nods and with one fluid motion, he starts towards Joey and Julie who fade to nothing as he passes right through them, sneaking towards the gallows. Once he’s vanished into the tall brush, I took a deep breath and adjusted myself to stand, stumbling a little and scraping my arm against the cactus growing beside me.

I glared at it but used the burn from that pain to fuel my legs to stand up. I walk out from behind the barrel and start into the town, leaving the sign behind me and going towards him, my motion catching his eye. He raises his weapon at me and takes aim and I raise my hands above my head, as if in surrender. He hesitates, lowering his weapon and starting towards me as well.

I continue forward, feeling strangely warm and uncomfortable when Wicked decides to put in her two cents.

_Feeling overdressed? This is the most clothes that you’ve worn since arriving here._

“I hate how right you are; this just feels odd to me.” I admit quietly.

Slowly but carefully, I step onto the heels of my boots, pulling them down then raising my knee and wiggling my ankle out of the boot. The faux leather makes a sort of dry plop sound in the dirt and reveals my white socked foot. I repeated the motion with my other foot and started forward again, my feet and about half way up my calf becoming caked with that beige colored dust on the ground.

My (h/c) hair hanging to just above my rear whipped up a little with the wind and he lowered his weapon to his side completely, letting the blade of the bayonet hang just above the ground as he walked.

_Now that his interest is piqued in you, just keep walking up to him…you just have to plant a kiss on him and Take One will activate…bare flesh to bare flesh._

“Is it really going to be that easy? I feel like something isn’t right.” I ponder and that’s when she hums.

_I mean…he’s got a little bit of a mean streak and maybe a little SSD going on but I wouldn’t worry._

“What? What’s that?” I whisper and bow my head a little as I draw closer, to cover the fact that I’m talking to no one.

I don’t know what Wicked is talking about so my mind was racing. From that one scrape we’d managed earlier before Nea was taken away, I knew this man had been a very angry and violent person all throughout his life; seeming to take great pride in creating devices of immeasurable pain.

_Sexual sadism disorder…pain and suffering turn him on._

I feel my throat go dry as I stop, now standing in the looming shadow of this man. He was built very skinny but extremely tall. His hair was long and sat on his shoulders, a ghostly white color with a beard and long mustache to match it. His chin must have been made of bricks once upon a time because his face screamed ‘country boy’ and Wicked cackled in the back of my mind.

_You just can’t help yourself, can you?_

I didn’t answer as I dared to look up at him, offering my biggest puppy dog eyes; unsure of what else I could do to seduce a guy from the fucking old western America!

His skin was a pasty white color and he was clearly an older guy, there was a lightning looking scar that went down from his cheek to his chin on his left side. I could also see this black and purple hole in his cheek.

_He got shot a long time ago…mangled his jaw. He likes to dislocate it on purpose, have fun with that._

I don’t even know where to begin with her when he moves a little and I see him looking me over a bit, his glowing white eyes scanning my body. I hold still and keep my hands up before muttering something under my breath and lowering my head like a disobedient child.

He reaches over to me with his free hand and lifts my chin so that I have to look at him. His hands smell like gun powder and his fingers are rough, years and years of tinkering with his weapon have almost completely calloused his skin.

He quirks a bushy, white eyebrow down at me and I lower my hands to my sides, looking into his eyes as I realize with a small turn of my head, my mouth would be against his palm. I lower my gaze and turn into his hand, laying the tiniest of pecks against his hardened flesh and that flips the switch in me.

_Take One For The Team_

With my lips still somewhat pressed up against his hand, I look into his face and flutter my lashes at him.

“Caleb,” I say and wait for him to react.

He slowly trails his fingertips down my jaw then my neck and down my arm, towards my hand. I tremble slightly at the sensation when I’m startled into a screech as he grabs me around my hips and lifts me up onto his shoulder.

“What the hell?! What are you doing!?” I cry out when he starts taking me towards that big building. Dead Dawg Saloon…where Nea is currently hiding!

**_NEA_ **

The moment that fucker stopped the horse, I started trying to wiggle that spike out of my shoulder. The low squishing noise and blood trickling out of me were sickening but I did my very best to get free, to no avail. He stepped one of his massive cowboy boots onto my chest and yanked at the chain connected to the spear, ripping it out of my shoulder with a piece of ripped flesh stuck to one of its many spines.

Just then, I spotted my opportunity; he had a knee brace on. Some old rusty contraption with a few leather straps wrapped around his leg to keep it in place. I let my head fall back into the dirt and my eyes closed, feigning that I’d passed out.

I waited until I heard him reload his weapon and opened my eyes, aiming at that knee brace and kicking as hard as I could. There was a clear snap as he buckled over to his side and I jumped up, running away from him as quickly as I could. I looked back for a second to see if he was looking but he was still fighting with his leg. Keeping my hands pressed into that gaping shoulder wound, I dropped into a crouch and started inside the nearest building I saw.

Going into this place I could see there was a bar with a small collection of glass bottles with faded and old labels on them. There were a few iron skillets and pots hanging over them and a super retro looking register beside that. The wood of the bar was intricately engraved with deep, smooth grooves in the old wood.

There were two round tables with wooden chairs but one of those tables had two dead bodies seated at it with a broken bottle on the table. Behind them was a piano with more bottles, broken and whole atop it with a leathery old cowboy hat from the piano’s last player. There was an old wood stove off in the corner with piping that lead up into the ceiling and a few familiar looking lockers beside the doorway.

There was another lonely round table beside those lockers, pushed off into the corner with only one chair. Beside that thing was a small side room with another table in it but this had four chairs, two of which were overturned and playing cards scattered about. There was an old green table cloth bunched up on it with the only thing keeping it semi flat was a little purple oil lantern with no light.

The light fixtures along the walls were rounded but dull, the only light coming in from outside and the hanging light over the table. Passing that area on I went back out into the middle of the pub and saw some stairs that lead up to a second level, no safety railing to be seen until you were already at the top. Up here the walls were half green and gold wallpaper, torn and peeling from time and half wood base boarding.

I went to my right and saw this canopy bed with old sheets and blood on the pillow. It was a rusting metal framed thing and the mattress looked less than welcoming and the wallpaper in here was instead red and gold, still old and faded though. The windows were boarded up and there was a connecting room with the same little set up save for two doors being boarded shut and one open window. There was a vanity with a mirror but the mirror had been long since shattered, the center a black void that sent ugly cracks through the glassy surface of the mirror.

I started towards the door that lead into the next room when a loud crash scattered some wood chippings towards me and I dropped to my knees, still clutching my shoulder. Blood began to pool under me, my shoulder was still bleeding heavily even with my hand covering the wound. I looked up and saw the source of the crash and flying wood chips was from a spike stabbing through the wall from outside.

The spear was pulled away, allowing a beam of light to shine into the otherwise mostly dark space. I rushed back into the other room and out onto the second level again. I could see the entrance to this town, the sign for Glenvale was hanging haphazardly by its chains. I need to get beyond that point and then I just have to run until my legs can’t do it anymore. Jake’s leg was so badly mangled by that ogre looking fuck, he must be so worried right now.

I grumbled a little as I turned and started back towards that room, I need to get out that window and maybe I can find a spot where I can jump down and I can hide. If I try to walk out the front of this place, I’ll be spotted and I’m as good as dead. I did not come this far for us to finally see the end close enough to smell just to die off now!

“What the hell?!” I heard from outside and recognized (f/n)’s voice!

“Shit,” I whispered when I dared to peek outside and saw that man holding (f/n) on his shoulder, carrying her my way!

I turned tail and crept up the stairs and into that bedroom again, unless I ran, I wouldn’t make it to the window so for now, I’d need to hide. I dragged my body under the bed and slowed my breathing down as I heard him coming up the stairs.

**_(F/N)_ **

I was just hoping that somehow, Nea had gotten away from the building before he entered. Looking around, I saw tables, the bar and a couple of dead bodies at one of those tables. This place had an old smell, like rotting alcohol and it was honestly a rancid stench but not nearly the worst I’ve ever smelled.

Caleb carried me up the stairs and into a room with red wallpaper covered in gold filigree designs. I was suddenly thrown down onto a dusty and squeaky mattress like a sack of potatoes and after I’d stopped bouncing a bit, I looked around me.

The bed frame was sturdy but rusting metal, it creaked if I breathed too hard. There was a shattered vanity that he pushed from the corner to the second door, ensuring that I couldn’t escape that way and then he went back and slammed the other door we’d come in through.

_Hmm, old country boys didn’t really care too much for privacy. I guess he’s taking it now since he couldn’t afford it back then._

I clench my teeth to keep from replying to that when I see something in the bottom corner of one of the mirrors fragments. There is a pair of sneakers under the bed…they’re moving!

_Jesus, Mary and Joseph…she’s under this bed!!_

Wicked starts cackling inside my head and I shake it to silence her only for me to hear something thump against the floor softly. I turned back to see him lean his weapon up against the wall and remove his jacket, hanging it on one of the broken lights on the wall.

Under that jacket he wore a brown long sleeve button up with a red bandanna around his neck. He was certainly a thin framed man but that was betrayed by how easily he flung me up onto his shoulder the way he did. He had yet to say a word, maybe the bullet wound to his cheek made talking difficult.

I pondered when he undid the top two buttons on his shirt and I shivered, knowing what was expected of me and scared of not knowing exactly what he was going to do to me. Needless for me, Wicked had a few things she wanted to say.

_Lucky for you, oral is a little too wild for men of the west so at least you won’t have to suck it._

He knelt down on the bed in front of me and looked down at my pants, seeming annoyed that I was still dressed. He suddenly grabbed the hem of my pants and pulled so hard that the button popped off and the zipper broke. I gasped and tried to pull back but only succeeded in costing myself my pants and underwear as he pulled them off. My ankles and knees were still tangled in them but he seemed to prefer that as he reached up and grabbed my flannel, pulling me forward and then flipping me over, tightening my pants around my knees and exposing my rear end.

I couldn’t stop the pathetic little whimpers that would escape from time to time, I was so damn scared that I couldn’t fight or move. I kept trying to remind myself that this was just my Perk doing its job but why was I so damn terrified? Then it hit me, he wants me to be scared of him…to not fight back and just let him do what he wants until he’s done.

I dared to peek over my shoulder and I immediately turned away again because he was untucking his shirt from his pants. I tried to use my arms to raise me up so I could wiggle my legs free but he suddenly pressed a hand down on my back to keep me from going anywhere and I cried out; sounding like I was crying but I’m not!

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I won’t move.” I say and he chuckles at me, the sound sending a slithering sensation up my back and Wicked snickered at me.

_You know what, I gotta be present for your sex all the damn time. The most random shit gets you going._

I closed my eyes and waited when I heard his zipper and I turned back again to look at what I should expect and fortunately for me and my lady bits, he was average in size, about 7 inches. He had white pubic hair that created a small happy trail on his lower belly.

He took his hat off and set it on the bedside table, his hair was actually quite long; I half expected him to be bald under the hat but his hair wasn’t even thin, just a solid silvery white.

His member was erect and I could see moisture built up at the head and I knew he was eager to get down to business…I just turned my head away when he grabbed my hips and pulled me back until my knees slid off the bed and hit the floor with a loud thud.

My upper body was bent over the bed and my arms outstretched in front of me, I dared not to move as I felt the head of his cock bump against me. I’m so fricken scared right now, why was I so damn terrified? Was it because Nea was here? No, I’ve had an audience so to speak countless times…what’s wrong with me?

_Do you want me to answer you or would you rather I didn’t?_

“Please,” I say without thinking and the next thing I know, he has sheathed himself inside of me in one fluid motion. Fluid for him, abrupt and painful for me; my walls suddenly being pushed apart to allow him entrance to my body caused soreness to throb through my lower belly.

Frank and Dwight had both been inside of me not very long ago at all and I was still rather tender inside; without The Entity to do any healing, I was hoping that he wouldn’t hurt me too terribly bad. He began thrusting into me rather hard, my ass clapping against his hips, sending conflicted thrills up my back.

It felt good as my inner walls made quick work of slickening me up and that impact from each thrust shook something in my core that made me see stars. Despite how pleasantly vanilla this was by comparison to all the other things I’ve done; I still kept my face buried into the blanket before me; muffling my cries as he grunted and thrusted into me like a hungry animal.

I felt him press his body down against my back and he continued thrusting into me until I felt something hot start pouring into me and he sighed heavily, resting his forehead on my back as he came inside.

Ok…that wasn’t so bad.

_Ah, not so fast baby…think about how long its been since our boy got some._

I started trying to sit up only to be pushed down again and my pants were ripped off of me the rest of the way. My legs now free, I flipped around to look and see what he was doing when he crawled up on top of me and pulled me by my hips back onto him, causing that same jarring sensation when he first thrust into me and I gasped as he started again.

I covered my face with my hands as I heard and _felt_ that squishing sound from my nether regions as he fucked me, the mixture of my wetness and his cum causing that noise with every thrust. I guess he didn’t like not seeing my face as he moved my hands away and pinned them behind my head with one hand and used his other hand to hold my chin; making me look at him as he fucked me again.

_Hmm, I don’t know that much about how long sex lasted in the old west…I guess you’re about to find out._

**_NEA_ **

It was haunting and nauseating to have to hear what he was doing to her but I needed to get the hell out of this place before I’m found.

I started slowly scooting my way out from under the bed, paying close attention to his feet as that was the only thing I could use to tell me where he was and hopefully, where he was looking.

I got almost completely out when I heard him finish and I froze, fighting the urge to scurry back under the bed. I was only half way out, my legs sticking out from under the bed and I was terrified that he had seen me as I could only hear them breathing right now. I felt water fill my eyes as I held my breath, staring unblinking at the mattress above me. Just then, he immediately started in on her again, her gasping whimpers only responded to with a sinister laugh here and there.

The relief I felt at that made me feel equally guilty; good he’s still raping her so now; I can get out of here. I hate myself.

I dared to try and sit up and saw that (f/n) was folded up at this point, her legs around his hips and him plunging into her again. This sick wet fart sound occurred with each thrust and I could see this white almost foaming substance dripping down her butt as he thrust in and out of her. She covered her face but he quickly pushed her hands away and forced her to look him in the eyes while he violated her, chuckling and grunting.

I turned and started towards the next room, slowly creeping my way under the vanity and onward until I got to the window. I slowly started to get up and out onto the balcony, once I was on the other side, I saw some stairs to my left. I went towards them when someone appeared at the bottom and I almost screamed upon seeing her but I held my sharp intake of breath and let it out in a hushed sigh.

Susie just scared the ever living out of me but I was beyond glad to see her, she gestured for me to follow when I heard (f/n)’s voice.

“You aren’t finished yet?!” she asked, exhausted sounding already as the creaking and grunting resumed again.

I hesitated, not wanting to leave her but Susie’s quickened waving to come along guided me down and into the bushes where we crept along, me trying to ignore the droplets of blood I was leaving behind.

“Can’t we do something to help her?” I ask her under my breath and Susie shakes her head.

“I’m sorry, we have to trust that (f/n) knows what she’s doing. She’s making this sacrifice for us, so let’s not waist it by getting caught; let’s hurry.” She says and points towards the gate. “Frank and the others should be this way; glad you were able to slip away.”

“Yeah…just wish I’d picked a better hiding spot.”

**_FRANK_ **

It killed me inside to watch him carry her off but she told me to trust her…so I will. Only because I owe that to her from having hurt her so badly before.

Sneaking towards the gallows had me on edge, my eyes darting around to see even the slightest glimpse of that creep coming our way but I didn’t hear anything or see anything, so I stood up and set Joey and Julie loose.

“We’re clear, looks like he took the bait.” I say and Julie noisily runs up the stairs only to immediately drop and grasp the edge of the hole she was now dangling from.

“Woah!” she exclaimed before letting herself fall and landing on her butt, under the platform. Joey and I stood there looking at her. “What the hell was that?”

I offered her my hand and Joey inspected the door, prodding at something we couldn’t see from the other side. “Looks like this spot is faulty, good thing she found it and not me.”

“Eat shit and die Joey,” she hissed.

“Eat shit and live Jules,” he retorted and she flipped him off.

“Ok, when we get out of here; we are so re-watching Sleepaway Camp!” she says excitedly and starts up the stairs a second time.

“And what if they don’t have Sleepaway Camp wherever we end up?” Joey asks and she gives him a sly look as she stands behind Kate.

“We could write it, if it doesn’t exist, we could write it.” She says when Kate lets a kick fly and misses Julie but hits Joey straight in the family jewels and Julie starts snorting as she holds back her laughter.

“Jules, you sound like a fucking pig!” Joey groans as he regains his composure and I pull the bag off of Kate’s head.

“At least we know they’re still kicking,” Julie then motions like she’s hitting drums and goes over to do the same for Steve.

“Badum tss,” Joey says and he flips her off, still leaning on his knees.

“Funny guys, let’s just hurry up and get these two out of here quickly.” I say when-

“HEEEL-” Steve starts but Julie covers his mouth and looks at the building across the street, not seeing any sort of stirring, save for the scattering vultures.

I sigh and turn back to look at his wide and terrified eyes as she whispers to him. “Calm down, we’re here to help you guys. Come on, everyone is holed up at Jane’s place.” She says quietly and pulls his noose off while Joey cuts their restraints.

“(f/n) said you betrayed her; can we trust you?” Kate says, glaring harshly at me and steps between Steve and I.

“We can argue the validity of my statement later, you’re not safe here.” I say and Steve speaks up from behind her.

“And we’re gonna be safer with you?” he asks when Julie clicks her tongue and I look behind me, seeing Susie and Nea headed our way.

“Ok, if you don’t believe me; ask Nea.” I say and Kate sees her and takes a breath, smiling at Steve over her shoulder.

“Alright, we’re actually safe then.” She starts when Julie walks around them and stands beside me.

“Not yet, (f/n) is keeping tall, dark and creepy busy for now. We need to get you guys out of here and then we’re going to come back and get her. As long as she is here to distract him, we’re safe…for the moment.” She says when a shot rings out and I feel blood splatter on my face from beside me…where Julie had been standing.

I’m surrounded by screaming when I look over and see that Julie’s right eye has been decimated and one of those massive spikes has been fired straight through the back of her head. I look behind me and see the long chain lead all the way inside of the building behind us and see that fucker standing in the window, smiling at us.

He pulls the chain taught and Julie’s body is pulled to fall off the gallows and onto a massive cactus, the spines stabbing into her arms and legs and knocking her to land on her side. He starts reeling her in, dragging her by her head and leaving a bloody pile in the dirt.

I can’t even react when I hear glass breaking and (f/n) has appeared and is throwing liquor bottles at him from the second level. He releases the chain from his weapon and goes inside, reloading as he does and (f/n) leans over the balcony to look at us.

She’s sweaty, her tank top is gone and her jeans are torn and broken. She’s barefoot and there’s a small splatter of blood on her lower belly.

“Guys, get back to Jane’s house now!!” she yells when the wall behind her breaks apart and that son of a bitch is standing there!

**_(F/N)_ **

I didn’t hesitate when he broke through the wall, I jumped off the balcony and immediately rolled my ankle on impact, falling to my side.

“Fuck!” I yelled when I heard him jump down behind me.

I turned and looked up as he got closer but he gets thrown to the side as someone just body slams him into the dust.

“Julie!” I cry when I see her and she looks up at me, a harpoon sticking out of her face; blood dripping from her mouth.

“GET OUT!! NOW!” she screams and starts stabbing at him with all her might.

I get up, most of my weight on my good leg and I’m ready to help her when I’m lifted up and start getting carried away on someone’s shoulder.

“Did you not hear her?! Let’s go!” Joey says as he carries me off but I start struggling.

“No! We can’t leave her!! He’s going to kill her!!”

“We know!!” he yells and that’s when I freeze and he keeps running, his voice lowers this time. “We know…”

I am left to watch as Caleb overpowers Julie and knocks her onto her back and stands up, his weapon at the ready. He stabs the bayonet up between her legs and she starts screaming, this horrid, gurgling shriek as he pushes up through her belly and into her torso, lifting her up into the air and firing, the harpoon coming out of the middle of her face, sending some teeth flying and destroying her beauty beyond repair.

I can’t move…I can’t look away…I can’t cry…I can’t do _anything_ to change what just happened.

_True death is something even The Entity cannot stop_

“True…death.” I mutter and my belly twists, agony filling my chest and spilling out over my eyes. “She’s…gone?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late upload; if you follow me on discord you already know what happened to me.  
> In short, I hurt my arm during a Judo throw and wasn't able to upload on time. I'm still hurt but now I have a brace on so it should make things a little easier for me to handle now. Typing doesn't require much arm movement but I'm still going to play it safe considering the injury.  
> Dead By Daylight High School AU will debut in a few hours since I'm not able to go to work with my arm this way. Gonna play catch up for the next few hours, I mean hey; it's quarantine...might as well :3


	9. False Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of Julie's death, (f/n) starts having doubts about Wicked's intentions. Is this soul fragment really worth holding onto?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

The sky was filled with black clouds and the thunder roared overhead; our group returned to the Survivor forest but there was no relief. Without that border to protect us, the only place to stay safe from any Killers was inside someone’s house…until Caleb showed up.

I recalled how he shot through the window and dragged Nea out into the rain; stealing her away and throwing us into turmoil. We went to rescue her but found Kate and Steve in the same place, making our rescue attempt a little more complicated than previously thought. While we were able to rescue all three of them…Julie ended up paying the price for our success.

Once we got within rock throwing distance of Jane’s house, Joey set me down and almost immediately dropped to his knees. I was fighting through the shock, trying to keep myself from losing my composure but I could only cover my mouth and stand there…I couldn’t move. I could hear Frank gagging and turned to see him throwing up into the dirt, Susie keeping a hand on his back.

What was that feeling like? They were physically tethered to her and without The Entity able to heal anyone…she was gone. Julie had been shot through the head and still threw herself down to ensure the rest of us escaped; she saved all of us and guaranteed our success!

“I can’t believe you guys found us, I thought we were about to get John Proctor’d.” Steve says happily when Kate places a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head.

Her eyes were sad, she knew exactly why this victory was bittersweet and started guiding Steve towards Jane’s house; softly explaining it to him. Nea came over to me and Joey, seeming unsure of what to say or do and after staring at Joey for what felt like years…she bowed her head.

“I’m so sorry…if I hadn’t been caught, this never would have happened.” She says solemnly.

Joey raised his head to look up at her and I can see the light shimmering on his cheeks from the tears. He stood up, not bothering to dust off his knees from kneeling in the mud and placed a heavy hand on Nea’s shoulder.

“Don’t blame yourself, the only one who is to blame right now is that skinny bastard. You getting caught was a happy accident, we found them and set The Entity back big time.” He says then walks over to Frank and Susie, Frank now gasping for air as he seems to have completely emptied his stomach.

I was stuck where I stood, I couldn’t bring myself to move at all and just pointed at Jane’s house. “Nea, you should get inside. Fill in the others…we’ll be in soon.” I say and Nea nods to me before going into Jane’s house and leaving me outside with what was left of The Legion.

_Well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles don’t it?_

“Wicked…I swear to God…” I warn, my jaw clenching and she fell silent within me. “There has to be some way for us to…to change this…to fix it somehow.” I start, feeling myself starting to spiral downward but Wicked puts a fast stop to that.

_Look…do we have time to sit around and cry over spilled milk or don’t we have a job to do?_

“Wicked…remember what I said before about compassion? Figure it out, with all your knowledge you should know that we need at least a _minute_ before we take off to do something else. So how about giving us a fucking minute?!” I snap and reluctantly, she falls silent again.

I crouch down and just curl up into a ball, unsure of what to do next or how to react. We’d lost one of our own and even though Wicked and I followed our plan to a T…we weren’t able to get out of that place unscathed.

As I was sitting there, wallowing in my self-pity…I felt something itch between my legs and I stood up, starting towards Jane’s house. I stopped at the base of the stairs to look back and see how Joey and Susie were on either side of Frank, soothing his upset and I wanted to help…but it wasn’t my place. I wanted so badly to hold him close and apologize…but it was something I didn’t understand…I may never understand it so I would have to give them space and try to pick up the pieces of this team.

We weren’t done yet.

_Atta girl! Let’s clean out your vag and get going to the next one!!_

“Yeah…let’s go.” I say quietly as I turn and start into the building when I hear rapid footsteps behind me.

“Frank wait!!” I hear Susie yell and I turn just in time to see him tackle me onto the porch, tears in his angry eyes.

“Wicked, you knew that was going to happen!!” he shouts and I felt my jaw drop. He lowers his voice but keeps glaring at the negative presence inside my heart. “She knew…didn’t she?”

I lowered my eyes and forced Wicked to answer…because I hadn’t even considered the thought that Wicked would know that we were going to lose Julie. “Yeah…I knew we were going to lose someone…I just didn’t know who.” She says and I feel the tears falling from my cheeks. She scoffed and pointed at my eyes. “You see this? This is exactly why I didn’t let her know what was gonna happen.”

Susie and Joey pulled Frank off of me and he pointed an accusatory finger at me. “You are so lucky that you’re in (f/n)’s body or I would have already started carving you up like a pumpkin!” he shouted and I felt my skin prickle.

I knew he wasn’t yelling at me; he was angry at Wicked…but the fact that he had to direct it at me to reach her still made me uneasy.

“Wicked…what do you mean you knew we were going to lose _someone_?” I asked and there was silence as my throat grew warm, she had a lot to say.

“If you’d be willing to hear me out, I can explain why I didn’t tell anyone and why I kept that information from (f/n).” she says and Frank’s eyes are puffy and if Wicked could have disintegrated right then, she would have.

“You’d better have a damn good explanation for why you kept the fact that one of my people was going to die from us!” he shouted and both Joey and Susie shared in his pained glare.

Again, I knew they weren’t looking at me…but to glare at Wicked was to glare at me too so I focused on that to keep my anxiety from spiking.

“It could have been any one of us!” she says and the anger fades from their eyes. “I looked at our scenarios and it really could have been anyone. We went to save Nea, we found two more people that needed saving…that made our escape much harder and slowed us down a lot.”

“So…what? You pulled a Doctor Strange on us or something?” I asked and she shrugged.

“Eh…more or less, I’m just not a wizard.”

“He’s not a wizard,” I correct but almost slap myself. “Focus! What _could_ have happened?!”

“Julie was just one of the possible fatalities we suffered by going there. The Deathslinger, as he’s so aptly named, is notorious for killing his targets in brutal ways. Being out there and trying to save two extra bodies, practically damned us to lose someone. We could have lost Nea, who had been hidden at the time of our arrival and we could have just gotten Steve and Kate out of there, thus sacrificing her and condemning her to death if she was found. Sure, she still had the possibility of sneaking away on her own but it was too much of a gamble considering she was the whole reason we went out there.” Wicked says, leaning against the support railing on the steps.

“So, our going out there to save her would have been like going to the store for milk…but forgetting it and coming home with a dog.” Susie says crossing her arms and looking at the ground thoughtfully. Both Joey and Frank looked down at her with confusion on their faces.

She looked up at them and jumped a little. “Don’t look at me like that! It makes sense to me that way so just…shut up, Wicked…who else could we have lost?” she says, returning the attention to Wicked as her cheeks got pink.

“If (f/n) hadn’t kept her cool while she was getting plowed, he would have gotten angry and killed her in that bedroom. I can heal her but it takes some time for me to make that happen so we wouldn’t have been able to come outside and help further than that.” She then glances back at the house and rolls her eyes. “And lastly, we could have lost Jake _and_ Nea.”

“But…Jake wasn’t with us. How would we have lost him?” Frank asks when Wicked makes the motion of shooting up her arm again, the same motion that got her punched earlier.

“That’s because (f/n) called out for him to stay behind. If she’d just assumed that no one would follow her, then he would have snatched a syringe from the stock pile and gone out after us. Just as we were about to leave…he’d get speared and dragged back and Nea would refuse to leave him. They both would have been taken to The Entity and that would have tipped the scales quite a lot in their favor.” She looks up at Frank and hardened her gaze. “It was a tough call to make but Julie was the only death that wouldn’t have benefited The Entity at all. I had to think about the long game and Julie’s sacrifice will mean better chances for the rest of us.”

“Don’t you dare talk about her like she was expendable!” Frank demands and Wicked smirks up at him.

“You seem pretty upset for someone who wasn’t in love with her anymore…or was that a lie? You and Julie still fucked from time to time, right?” she sneers and I wrench control back from her, jarring myself into standing up but slipping off the step and landing on my butt rather hard.

“Stop it…just…stop it…please…” I mutter and I look up to see this look of hurt on all three of them; refusing to look at me. “I’m…gonna go for a walk, Wicked and I need to have a talk.” I say and start away from Jane’s house when Frank reaches out to grasp my arm.

“(f/n), wait!” he starts when I turn and slowly pull his hand away from me.

“It’s…Ok. I just need a little space for a second.” I say and walked away and tried to stop crying but I couldn’t help it. The further away I got, the more tears fell from my cheeks. I got to the center of our camp where the camp fire was nothing more than blackened embers now. I began pacing around the fire and having an argument with myself. “Wicked…what is wrong with you? Why are you doing this to me?”

_You know exactly why I’m doing this._

“No, I don’t and I’m pissed because you said you and I knew everything each other knew! You’re keeping things from me and someone just died! Really, actually, truly dead!!! You had better fucking explain yourself right now because I’m not above breaking my own body to dispose of you!”

_Ooh, throw yourself from a tree. I wanna see if I can fly._

“AHHHH!” I screamed and dropped to my knees. “Wicked…I don’t know how much more of this I can take…this hurts so much…” I whimper, bowing my head and sobbing.

I’m exhausted…I’m physically exhausted.

_Alright, I’m sorry! I’m sorry. I know this is difficult, but you gotta pull yourself together! I know that you cared about Julie…but think about it, it was the best choice that we could make in the long run. The Entity can’t drink from tainted souls, only pure ones and I know you want to save everyone._

“Of course, I do, this place is hell and I want to get us all out of here together.” I wiped my eyes roughly, making my eyes burn and more tears flowed down my cheeks.

_Ok, then I need you to just trust me._

“Wicked-” I start but she keeps going.

_I know I have no room to ask for anything considering what just happened but think about it like this. There are five people in the road and you can’t stop or dodge everyone, someone has to go. Are you going to hit all five or try to just hit one?_

I started crying even harder and I felt a warmth in my shoulders, she was trying to comfort me. My head was throbbing with pain and my forehead was sore from all my crying. I hated that she was right, she is absolutely right…making me think of that horrible quote.

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.” I say and Wicked sighs.

_It’s a hard lesson…I’m sorry, but when it’s a game of survival, you’ve got to be prepared for loss._

I dug my nails into my palm and felt something hot spill out onto my fingers, knowing full well that she was right; as much as I hated to admit it. The things waiting for us at the end of this horrible night were a gamble…nothing was for sure and even though Wicked could feed me scenarios of what _could_ happen, it was still up in the air what happens next. Wicked wasn’t predicting the future with certainty, she was making educated guesses as to what _could_ happen.

I hated how so many lives in this place relied on luck…but I’d have to do my very best to ensure that we didn’t lose anyone else. Now that The Entity has no Survivors in it’s grasp, we had more time to prepare for our next move and ensure that Julie’s death…would be the last from our side.

After gathering myself again and wiping my face off, I went back to Jane’s house and found Frank sitting on the porch steps, waiting for me. He stood up as I got closer and came over to meet me, his eyes still puffy and he looked sad. We just stood there, looking at each other for a moment when, as if on a cue from an invisible director; we grabbed each other and held each other close. I could feel him shaking and squeezed tighter, feeling him fighting the urge to sob into my shoulder.

“I’m so sorry…I…I’m so, _so_ sorry!” I just kept saying that and he squeezed me tighter too, breathing hard and I started to feel something cold on the wind make me turn my head to look up into the sky. I had to tap Frank’s shoulder to make him look up and see the clouds raging across the sky and what appeared to be blue clouds not too far away from where we were standing.

“What is that?” I asked and Frank stood up straight but kept his arm around my lower back.

“Storm clouds…that’s a snow storm.” He says, his voice low. “I think that’s our sign to get going…that’s Carter’s Realm.” He said and I felt a shiver shoot up my spine.

“Great…who’s there?” I asked and he looked down.

“Sally, better known to them as The Nurse.” He says and slowly guides me in front of him and starts gently prodding me to go inside. “I think we better start assembling a team.” He says and I nod, turning towards me and I could see this icy look in his eyes.

Going inside, I can see Claudette fixing up Nea’s shoulder and Nancy is hugging Steve tight. I walk over and Kate runs over to me and hugs me tight.

“I’m so glad you’re Ok! I knew you guys would come for us!” she says cheerily and I hug her back.

“Thanks for having faith in us.” I say when Wicked suddenly takes over.

“Hey blondie, you interested in a little face ride?” she asks and I shake my head to regain control.

Kate looks a little flustered but physically seemed frozen.

“Sorry…Wicked is still present here…there’s a lot to explain but I promise, we’re all good now.” I say and Kate smiles, nodding.

_Jeez, she’s way too trusting…please lemme fuck this one!!_

“Wicked is going to leave you alone now, sorry Kate.” I say and Kate nods before rejoining the others on Jane’s couch.

_You’re no fun!_

Looking past that, I see Joey coming down the stairs with a few separate back packs.

“Oh good, you are here.” He says and starts handing out the bags. “Susie’s at your house picking up some clothes, we probably should have thought about that earlier.” He says and I tilt my head, looking up at Frank for an explanation.

“While you were gone, we noticed that a lot of them are basically trapped in here without some basic necessities-”

“Bear necessities,” Susie added, rushing by with a couple more bags and making Joey laugh a little.

“Susie just got back from your place. Frank told me to gather some specific supplies.” Joey explained.

“But…how did he do that? We were outside talking.” I asked and Joey smirked at me, tapping the side of his head and I nodded. “Ah, I see.”

“I guess we should start sorting out who’s going with us now.” Frank starts and I nod. “The place that we have to go is Lery’s Memorial Institute. Carter took Sally there for her punishment so we’re gonna start there. Um…anybody got a map?” he asks when Dwight raises his hand.

“I do,” he reaches into his back pack and pulls out a large parchment map with dark brown writing on them. “It’s up to date…well, minus the tall guy we just saw.” He says and I nod to him.

“Thank you,” I say and he smiles, his cheeks growing a little pink and David claps him on the back like an old drinking buddy.

I smile and my cheeks start to redden as well; they’ve come so far from when I first came here and they weren’t even on speaking terms with each other. I could still remember David attacking Dwight over something I still wasn’t clear on and I’d gotten in between them to stop the fighting.

“Let’s try to plan accordingly, Carter is not going to take this sitting down.” Frank muses when Susie returns to the room and points at me.

“He’s also not going to fall for Take One For The Team, especially with how pissed off he got last time.” She says and immediately started looking around the room, seeing this ghastly expression falling over everyone’s face. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

_No, for real. What’d she say?_

“I guess that means I’m gonna play distraction in a different way than before…” I started, feeling my stomach begin to twist.

I remember that Evan and Philip had to unleash all the other Killers into the Trial to push the other Survivors out. Herman was enraged by my Perk and how he fell into it so easily.

Frank put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. “Maybe you should sit this one out Bambi,” he says and I look up at him. “For your own safety.” He’s looking down at me, his brow furrowed and a frown on his face.

“What? Why?” I asked and he shook his head.

“He may have been angry at you before but now he’s out for some revenge on me. After he attacked you…we went after him. We really fucked him up so he’s going to make you hurt even worse to get back at me for what I did.” I tilted my head and Dwight came over to my other side, leaning into my side.

“Frank…what exactly did you guys do to him?” he asks.

The room is silent and Frank looks unsure as he looks at us, his eyes are sad and I’m getting more and more worried. He reached out and squeezed Dwight’s shoulder and lightly touched my cheek before stepping back from me.

“I was angry at what he did to you…on a whole other level. We caught him, cut his dick off and then we cut it into pieces and scattered them through the Realms.” He says, bowing his head as if ashamed.

Everyone in the room looked to me with this look of shock and some with a look of disgust on their faces. Dwight even stepped away from me a moment and looked rather scared as he stared at me. I realized that they were all looking at me because I was laughing like a mad woman.

“You guys pulled a fucking Lorena Bobbit on him!!?” I couldn’t stop how hard I was laughing and just envisioned Frank tossing a massive, creepy dong into a field where the crows likely fought over it! “Haha!! Yeet!” I had to lean forward on my knees and wipe my eyes, I was laughing too hard!

Frank looked like he was absolutely in shock when Susie started giggling and everyone looked at her too. She was trying not to laugh when she motioned like she was taking a basketball shot. “Kobe!” she said and caused both Frank and Joey to start laughing as well.

“Oh hell, we must be going crazy because that’s kinda funny.” Feng says and Quentin covers his mouth and snorts.

“Um…if I can interrupt?” Dwight starts when a loud heartbeat begins and he suddenly raises his voice. “Guys, quiet!” him saying this draws everyone to be silent and this sensation of fear fills the room.

Kate points at the broken window that Nea had been dragged out of and screamed, rushing to get out of the room. We looked over to see a tall, lanky woman with extravagant golden robes and headdress, failing terribly to hide the fact that her whole body is decaying terribly.

An overwhelmingly sweet-smelling scent begins to fill the room and everyone scrambles to get up and get away as she seemed to begin gasping for air, still remaining outside the window. Frank grabbed me and threw me into the foyer just as I heard this awful retching sound.

My shoulder and ankle started throbbing with pain from me tripping on the stairs and landing wrong after Frank pushed me out of the living space. I looked up, pushing my (h/c) locks out of my face and saw a horrid sight. The room had suddenly been splattered with this green, chunky, rancid slop! There was a massive puddle in the center of the room and the woman outside the window had some of that green stuff dripping from her chin.

“Oh my God!” I gasped when I heard more gagging and coughing.

Looking down I saw that Jeff, Nea, Jake, Claudette, Frank and Dwight hadn’t gotten out of the way fast enough. They were all coughing and retching loudly when Claudette was the first to fall to her knees and vomit into the pile on the floor.

_Oh hell!! This bitch is nasty and that’s coming from me!_

“The Clown doesn’t disgust you?” I asked as I tried to figure out what I could do.

_Good point,_

I looked around and saw what looks like a shelf with an autographed baseball on a small glass pedestal. I jumped up and ran into the kitchen, looking around frantically when my eyes found the broom. I snatched the broom and snapped the bristles off over my knee and ran back to the shelf. I raised up the broom handle onto my shoulder and lightly tossed the ball in my hand before yelling.

“HIT THE DECK!” I yelled and tossed the ball into the air.

Everyone in the living area dove off to the sides of the room to avoid the vomit on the floor.

I swung the handle like a bat and sent the ball flying directly at Adiris’ face. A strangely quiet snap occurred and the woman dropped her lantern and started clawing at her face with her long, golden finger claws.

I ran across the room and jumped over the pile on the floor, standing on the couch and flipping around the broom handle so that the broken end was facing her. I stabbed into her chest, throwing my weight forward to push it through her chest. I almost lost my balance but saved myself from stepping outside by bracing my foot on the window sill.

A hand suddenly reached over and grasped the handle and I felt my blood run cold as the dark blue sleeve told me exactly who that arm belonged to! I didn’t even have time to let go when he pulled on the handle; yanking me out the window and stabbing it further into Adiris’ chest.

I screamed and held onto the handle, skinning the tops of my toes on the ground as I fought to keep myself standing. I pulled on the handle and he lifted it up into the air, taking me with it. I swung my legs forward and hooked my right foot around the back of his neck and pressed the heel of my left foot against the side of his jaw closest to my right leg. I then pushed with my left and pulled with my right and a loud snap followed as he fell back, dropping me onto my back.

I gasped and turned over onto my belly, hearing a rasping voice from the window.

“(f/n)…get inside…hurry…” Dwight said weakly before vomiting out the window.

I hurried to stand up only for a powerful electric surge to blast through my legs and cause the Killers behind me to grunt and cry out as the energy spiked through my bones. I could taste blood on the back of my tongue from how hard I screamed. My legs gave up on me and I fell to my knees, unable to get my legs or any other part of me to cooperate with me!

“No…no…” I started when I felt my panic mount faster than I knew how to deal with.

I pushed myself over onto my back again and dug my fingers into the dirt, the underside of my nails burning as the dirt pushed up into my skin. I took several panicked breaths and clenched the muscles in my belly.

_Scream For Me_

I screamed as loud as I could and I felt my hair start growing and whipping around me like live wires! The locks leaving massive trenches in the earth around me. A few locks even grabbed Michael and Adiris and threw them a few yards away from me.

The woods around me shook and I felt the ground under me rumbling when I heard a loud shriek and I looked up to see a ghastly image appear before me in a cloud of black smoke. This woman was short and frighteningly skinny, as if she’d been starved since she was born. Her face was covered with grey bandages, I could see the outline where her eyes were as there were clearly tears drying against her face. Her neck is bound in a black neck stabilizer with straps wrapped around her head and metal bars stabilized on her shoulders.

Her torso is wrapped in a brown corset, strapped closed with skinny leather laces and buckles. She wore a belt with syringes and a black set of plyers. She also wore a thin mesh skirt that did little to hide the gruesome braces wrapped around both her legs, one of which was splinted with an actual bone! More leather straps wrapped around her arms, also braced with metal buckles and posts. Her right arm was encased in a metal support with a few rusting bolts driven into her wrist. Her hand is wrapped in heavier bandages and her hand was violently fixed around what appeared to be a thick bandsaw blade detached from its machine.

The thing that drove home who she was, was this little white strip of medical tape on her left breast with ‘S A L L Y’ scribbled on it in black.

“What has he done to you?” I asked in a hushed voice when she suddenly grabbed me around my hips with her free hand and picked me up, holding me onto her shoulder! “No! Sally!! Don’t do this please!! Sally!!” I scream as I struggle but her grip on me is strong.

“Sally!! Stop!! Herman’s brainwashed you!!!” Frank shouted, struggling to stand as he braced himself against the side of the house, dry heaving as he tried to come over to me. “Sister please!! Don’t take her away from me!!” He begs, reaching out helplessly when Adiris appears behind him and just as she raises her arm to swing at him, Sally lets out this loud shriek and I gasp as in the blink of an eye the world around me warps.

The trees around me and the few Pustula’s still growing all around us blurred and shifted into these bent out of shape and twisted images. They almost seemed to merge together, mixing like spilled paint in my eyes and changing from oranges and browns with soft, natural shapes…into greys and blacks with sharp, unforgiving angles.

Looking around me showed me the brick walls that typically surrounded all the Realms here, then I saw it, the felled sign to what this place as once upon a time. Lery’s Memorial Institute…The Doctors domain.

I struggled harder and harder and finally Sally dropped me but I fell and my hand was pierced by a piece of metal hidden by a pile of fluffy snow! I clenched that wrist and brought myself up onto my knees as Sally drifted closer to me, like a ghost from all the horror movies I’d seen and I glanced up at her but dropped my gaze quickly.

“Sally…I don’t know what he’s done to you…but you’ve got to keep me away from him!” I beg but she doesn’t seem to hear me, lightly placing the tip of her blade against my chin and raising my eyes to meet her face.

“The Doctor will see you now,”


	10. This Is Not Happening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not happening...this can't be happening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

“Sally!!! Stop it!! Let me go!!!” I screamed as I kicked and fought against her grip around my ankle.

I was being dragged down the chilly halls of Lery’s Memorial Institute by one of the first Killers outside of The Legion that I was able to trust. She knew about us and took care of Frank while he was affected by their Curse. I know from what Wicked had gathered that she’d been sent off with Herman to be punished for standing with us. Based on appearance alone…I can’t imagine what he’s done to her in the hours since then.

The tile floor beneath me seemed rotten as even when I tried to claw my nails into it, to keep from being dragged off, they would just break away and cut my finger with their jagged edges. I tried kicking at her hand as she dragged me along but she quickly turned and I crashed into abandoned wheelchairs and gurneys so I stopped with the kicking.

The room she dragged me into had a silver metal grating on the floor that scraped against my back harshly, forcing my bralette to ride up on my back and press up under my breasts uncomfortably.

There were several medical carts with power panels on them set beside these Frankenstein’s lab looking machines. I could see purple and green electricity zap between their prongs as the power coursing through everything in this room made goosebumps rise on my skin.

At the rooms center was a massive grating in the floor, circular with several massive beams throughout it. Beneath that was a large fan, spinning its blades and casting the slightest of updrafts, warm air that made me start to sweat. There was this burning orange light below it but I couldn’t see what it was from or for. I looked upward and saw this strangely large and clunky looking array of monitors, all broadcasting people in various stages of torture and medical experimentation. It was horrid and I could hear the lowered volume of their screams, oh God some of them were awake and alive for it!

I looked up and saw that each monitor was mounted to some type of metal arm that was lowered from this crane looking thing. It was also surrounded, almost wrapped in the heavy black wires from each monitor and lead up into the wall.

The ceiling stretched up into an almost tower like shape, walled by large viewing windows and up into a dome shaped skylight. The full moon outside cast a blue light down that seemed to turn grey as it mixed with the orange from below. Heaven and Hell mixing to become this bland, sterile Purgatory.

“Hello again…bitch.” I heard a deep and smooth sounding voice.

I looked up and saw him walking towards me, looking more frightening since the last time I saw him. His face was no longer stretched out by that strange mechanism but instead, covered with a Plague Doctor mask.

The mask was black painted with gold accents on it in curling patterns. The eye holes were covered with dark circle lenses also brimmed with gold. The brown leather straps and silver buckles on them looked out of place as the rest of his head seemed to be bound by gold metal, two prongs sticking up on either side of his head like horns.

Below the mask I could see his mouth but couldn’t make out any details aside from his pearly white teeth, as the rest of his chin and lips were bright red with fresh blood! He was dressed in a fine white long sleeve with the sleeves tucked into black leather gloves, held in place by black leather bands and silver buckles. The wires that ran through his arms stabbed through the sleeves and blackened them in a few spots with burns from the electricity. He also wore a black suit vest with gold accents on his lapels and buttons, a black bowtie to match that and the black buttons of the shirt. His chest was also splattered with blood, some in the shape of hand prints; Sally’s.

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered as he stepped on the back of my head with his tall black boots and pressed my forehead into the floor.

“If you want to call me that, I won’t stop you.” He said bitterly and I let a kick fly at the back of Sally’s hand again, causing a loud snap and I was dropped, her index finger now bent at an obscure angle.

My forehead still pressed into the floor, I reached out blindly and found his other foot, grabbing the ankle. With my legs now free, I was able to pull them up under my body and brace myself to stand, I only had one shot at this.

I stood up, using my legs to brace against me as he tried to keep me down with his foot. I pulled his other ankle forward and he fell onto his back, allowing me to stand at my full height and started running as fast as I could!

I didn’t even make it to the door as Herman dumped electricity into the floor and it shot up my legs, the bottoms of my feet burning as it traveled through the metal and up my skin easily. I was knocked to the floor, the tingling sensation of it working its way through my body making me twitch. I tried to move my legs but only my toes would move, I tried to use my arms to drag myself out but my neck would ache and my hips would twist.

It was like my body was short circuiting like a robot with a loose wire and I couldn’t get any part of me to obey me! I started willing Wicked to come forward but I was flipped over by a giant hand grabbing my shoulder and I’m face to face with buzzing white eyes, full of pure elation. I think I would have been less frightened if he were just angry at me, but because of how cocky I’d acted before…this was personal for him.

“Now then, let’s pick up where we left off.” He says and I start trembling, terrified of what he had in store when he laughs and stands at his full height over me.

He was like a giant monster that someone would fear seeing on a cold Halloween night but it was nothing like that…because unlike those fears, this one was actually going to hurt me. He stomped on my belly and I screamed, throwing my head back and seeing Sally just hovering nearby, seeming unbothered by her broken finger at all.

I breathed loudly through my open mouth, panic and anxiety gripping my chest like a boa constrictor. Herman laughed and dug his heel into my soft belly harsher with a twisting of his ankle. “I wonder how your body will heal now that The Entity has left us to fend for ourselves?” he says and I started struggling…trying to say just one word and he laughed at me, seeing the electricity in my body making it increasingly difficult to control my muscles.

Opening my mouth to scream was simple but I couldn’t seem to make any part of my body to do what I wanted. My tongue just flopped around inside my mouth and scraped against my teeth as I tried to speak. I could feel the lightning working its way out of my body but it was a slow and agonizing process.

“Aww, are you going to try and beg me for mercy? Let’s see how well you do and I’ll consider it before your treatment begins.” He mocks and I manage a smile.

“Wi…w-Wicked.” The word was like a lightbulb flickering to life in his head and he grabbed for my throat only for my body to suddenly spring to life.

I wrapped my legs around his arm and used my feet against his neck to push him away, keeping his grasp on my throat weak. He tried to shake me off his arm by standing up straight again but I held on tight. I grabbed his thumb with one hand and trapped his arm against my chest with the other and began bending backwards, the top of my head tapping the floor.

Once I heard this loud crack from his arm and the back of my head was completely touching the ground, I released my grip, kicking him in the chest and knocking him back. He tripped over a girthy wire on the floor and fell over, his broken arm flailing about with a few quieter cracking noises.

I pushed myself to my feet and with Wicked’s help, I sprinted out of the room and found myself in a maze of hallways and rooms with no doors or glass panes on the windows. While the nooks and crannies were helpful to a degree, I couldn’t imagine any one place where I’d be safe from being shocked when he comes after me.

I ran to the right and pondered where I should try to hide, when I stepped and slide forward a little, barely managing to keep from slipping. My jeans were too loose without the button and zipper, Caleb had broken both when he came at me so I sat down and hurriedly took them off. I was now left in just my underwear and my thin tank top with my black bralette underneath.

I continued to run down the hall, running on the balls of my feet to keep from making any slapping noises on the floor. I hurried my steps when I saw an open window but I stopped as I saw the snow drifting in from outside.

_Damn, no such luck there._

“I’ve never been lucky Wick, but you already know that.” I say bitterly then turn around and rush into the room directly across from that window. It’s full of bunk beds, the mattresses and blankets haphazardly remaining but looking as if they’d been left a mess by patients that never returned. The room had a layer of fog that rose to about my hips and there were around three crows in here, all just sitting around and watching the world around them. I actually turned and threw myself under one near the back entrance and fell quiet, covering my mouth to hide my labored breathing.

My hair began to grow longer and longer, surrounding me but startling me as well until I heard Wicked whispering in my head.

_Relax, it’ll protect you from the shocks; it’s how he finds people that try to hide. You can stay here and catch your breath while I try to think of a plan._

“Now that I have a moment, why couldn’t I just will you to come out earlier?” I asked quietly against my palms.

_You’re not the only one who got a little shock earlier!! Too many of those and your body will give up on you before I can do anything to help you! We’re both stuck here and we are gonna have to make this up as we go along, especially if he sends Sally after us again. Whatever he’s done to her has made her complacent but there’s a catch to it._

“What do you mean?” I asked, my eyes darting around at the slightest of shadows.

_From what I’ve gathered, she follows orders…but otherwise cannot act without being ordered. She just stood-err…floated there while you broke his arm, a good underling would have tried to stop you. She isn’t completely gone…we might be able to use that to our advantage later. For now, let’s focus on working the lightning bugs out of your system and we’ll make our next move from there._

As I continued to be wrapped in a cocoon of my own hair, I could feel the thumping of my heart in my ears as Herman came searching for me…with Sally in hot pursuit as well.

I turned my head at the sound of heavy breathing behind me and Adiris stood over me, her arm raised up with her censer in hand! Just then the front door swung open and Dwight ran out, throwing his body into her hips and sending them both through the railing that surrounded Jane’s porch.

“Frank, get inside!!” he shouted in a gravely sounding voice.

I tried to get up and go over to him but my legs gave out as I vomited onto the stairs. There wasn’t anything left in my belly anymore so I was just throwing up yellow stomach acid, burning the back of my throat and leaving this bitter taste on my tongue.

“hathalat ghyr mukhalasin!” Adiris shouted as she threw Dwight away from her, his body bouncing harshly over the dirt till he was a motionless heap on the ground.

“Dwi-Augh!” I couldn’t even say his name once before I threw up another mouthful of burning bile.

I missed the last step and fell face first into the dirt, unable to hold myself up. Dwight groaned as Adiris began chanting in whatever language it was she spoke and I desperately crawled towards him but I couldn’t help it as I felt another violent wave of convulsion assault my body, making me vomit into the dirt that same rancid bile.

I heard one set of footsteps rush out behind me and I looked up to see Susie rushing forward, her broken ruler at the ready. She ran over and jumped on Adiris’ back, going absolutely mad as she stabbed into her face and head without hesitation. Adiris’ back was to me so I couldn’t see the damage but Susie’s yell made me look up.

Her pink hair looked particularly pale and her mask was in its place over her face, hiding her expression as she turned to yell at us.

“Joey, grab them and get inside!!” she kept right on stabbing, making the priestess scream and struggle to get her off; dropping her censer.

Joey rushed over and snatched up Dwight, throwing him over his shoulder easily then rushing over to me and grabbing my arm under my bicep.

“Come on, get up!” he said as I struggled to stand. “Susie’s got this, Adiris is no match for our little fire bug.” He says and I stumble along with him, knowing he’s right.

Adiris’ may be tall and fast but Susie is smarter and agile, she’s also a brutal little bitch that you don’t want to cross. I still had this unease in my chest as Joey sets Dwight down on the porch, only to immediately turn and vomit into the dirt.

“Just let it out man, that’s the only way to handle Adiris and her fucking plague.” Joey says, patting Dwight’s back then rushing inside.

I manage to steel myself as another kick in my stomach pushes more bile up my throat and I turn and spit it off to the side; the fact that I’m getting used to that is sickening in itself.

Just then we heard Susie start screaming and we both turned to look, seeing Michael had gone over to Adiris and dragged the small girl off of her, leaving her ruler embedded in Adiris’ head! The priestess falling to her knees and throwing her ornate headdress off to the side.

“NO!! SUSIE!!!” I tried to go over but I had to stop as a violent kick in my stomach sent me to my knees and I vomited again but the yellow bile was speckled with red.

Michael then grabbed Susie around her throat and lifted her up into the air, her short legs kicking out and barely managing a tap against his chest. Her violent struggles caused her mask to fall off and I could see the anger and fear mixed in her eyes as she clawed into the thick denim of his stupid suit.

The glint of his knife sent this wave of nausea through me that reached me all the way to my heart.

_This isn’t happening…_

Susie screamed as blood splattered on both of their faces and pooled on the ground by their feet. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t conjure any sort of words or action. Everything was deafened by the sound of someone screaming behind me on the porch.

Susie was screaming as well but her eyes weren’t on Michael at all and his face was turned down. He was staring into Joey’s face…his knife buried deep in his throat and stabbing through the other side, barely scraping Susie’s belly.

He had been so fast that even I had missed his actions, thoughts and resignation to his demise.

_This isn’t happening…_

Susie struggled harder and Joey spit out blood, staring directly into Michael’s eyes when a smile came over my brother’s face. He suddenly swung his knife up and stabbed Michael in the throat then pulled it out and swung it back into his head again, this time stabbing through his left eye and ripping the mask.

Susie fell and hit the dirt only to be swept up by David and rushed towards us, despite her screaming and crying. This horrible sound emitted from Joey’s mouth as Michael lifted him up by the knife through his neck and grabbed ahold of Joey’s shoulder. In one fluid motion, he pushed Joey’s body down as he pulled the knife up and this wet tearing sound sprayed his blood around the clearing, drenching Michael’s arm and tossing Joey’s head away, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop.

_Please…don’t let this be happening…_

Michael turned to us only for his head to suddenly burst into pieces of skull and brains, flesh and dirty blonde hair flying around, blood misting into the air. I heard another person lose their lunch behind me when Michael’s body fell to its knees and to the side, near Joey’s body where his blood poured into the dirt.

“JOEY!” Susie’s broken voice echoed around us when she started futilely punching David in his chest. “WHY DIDN’T YOU HELP HIM!!? I WAS FINE!! WE COULD HAVE SAVED HIM!!” She screamed when he grabbed her wrists and looked at her with this numb sadness in his eyes.

“He told me not to.” He says and I can’t bring myself to speak when Adiris approaches us, carrying Joey’s head.

I stand up and glare up into her face when she offers his severed head to me and bends down onto one knee; presenting it to me like some sacred treasure. I stepped back and looked over at Susie, who looked ghostly white. Her nose was a little pink but the rest of her face was completely void of any color; like if she were sick. She came over slowly, no one said a word or tried to rush her and I stepped aside so she could take his head from her.

She sobbed and glared at Adiris but just coddled his head into her chest and curled up into a ball on the ground.

“'iinaa asfu. lm yakun min almftrd 'an yahduth hdha , kunt 'uhawil ailtiqat wahidat tusamaa (f/n).” she says in her native language and I just shake my head.

“Nothing…I understand nothing.”

“She’s saying that she’s sorry,” a woman’s voice reaches us from the forest and I turn to see a new person walking towards us.

She’s skinny, dressed rather urban and has mocha colored skin. Her hair is cropped short with an undercut and has a purple tinge to the ends. Her jawline could probably cut through metal and she had a bit of an accent.

“Who the fuck are you and how do you know what she’s saying?” I asked and gestured at Adiris.

“Zarina, I was exploring an old prison when I woke up here; I don’t remember much else. She is speaking Arabic, my mother tongue. At first I thought I was seeing things but I now see that I am looking at The High Priestess of Babylon; there are old stories about her.” She says and Adiris bows politely at Zarina.

“bi'iimkanik fahami?” she asks and Zarina nods.

Adiris quickly begins speaking to her and gestures at us, her words frantic and making as little sense to us as ever. The new chick just nods and replies in the same strange words before looking to us.

“She’s saying that The Entity is calling for someone named (f/n)’s head.” She says and points behind her. “Should I just go back into the woods and go to sleep again because this is very confusing?”

I threw my hands up in the air and just started towards Janes house again, leaving Susie to grieve as she wished. “Ask the people inside! I’m done with this fucking shit!” I didn’t stay to hear anyone else, I just went into Janes house and up to the highest possible room.

Her house was full of all the things you’d expect in a rich bitch’s house, fancy tapestries and knick-knacks on every shelf. Shiny pictures of her shaking hands with people and glamour shots of her as well. I found the third floor to be the last and just went straight over to a window by another glittery picture of Jane holding a soda pop with some impossible to read brand label on it.

Poking my head out I could see there was a ledge that lead up onto the roof and I hopped out and walked on the clay shingles, breaking some as I went. I just sat on the edge of the roof with my legs hanging over the side and looked out in the direction where (f/n) had been taken. I could see the looming shadow of Lery’s in the distance, surrounded by a massive wall of dark clouds and spiraling wind.

(f/n) was probably facing so much pain right now and I didn’t know the first thing about how I was going to help her…there was a numbness in my chest and I knew why. I pulled out my mask and looked down into it, seeing the black ink of the permanent marker I’d used to make it, never smudged or faded despite its overuse. The old blood from our first kill that never faded in its color, always that fresh red color as if it had just been spilled.

Julie and Joey were both gone now…it was just Susie and me...in this horrible place. Everything is being taken away from me, one by one and I…I…

“Frank?” I looked up from my mask at Dwight’s voice and see him trying to crawl out the window.

“Hey…can I just…can I just be alone for a little while?” I say and he falls onto his butt outside the window, not listening. “Sure, come on over.”

“Thank you, I will.” He says and crawls over to cross his legs beside me and spit over the side of the roof. “We’ve come to realize that without The Entity, Adiris’ Plague only lasts until you run out of stuff to vomit up.”

“Hindsight is 20/20,” I mutter and he places a hand over the mask, making me look up at him.

His face is shiny from the sweat and some of his black hair is stuck to his forehead but otherwise, he looks no worse for wear.

“I wanted to be here for you…Susie’s being looked over by the others…but I thought you’d hate it if everyone tried to coddle you.” He says and I smile at him weakly.

“You are correct, I am not interested in pouring my heart out to anyone right now.” I look down and see his hand covering the eyes on the mask, as if hiding me from it.

“You don’t have to; I just want to be here. You can yell, you can cry, you can even hit me if you feel the need…I don’t mind, David helped toughen me up.” He says and I just shake my head.

“I know you’re trying Dwight, but I just don’t feel anything. What kind of brother am I? My best friend dies and I can’t even shed a tear over it…I really am a monster.” I say when he touches my chin with his hand and I look up at his eyes.

His brown eyes are clear and inviting, I suddenly feel the urge to curl myself up into a ball and just hide. Hide from The Entity, hide from Joey’s death…just hide away from everything.

“You are not a monster, grief hits everyone differently. Your body might just not be processing it right now. It could hit you at any moment or it may never hit you and it’ll just sort of…sit there and you’ll always know about it. It’s always up in the air how that works.” He says when a clap of thunder from overhead makes him jump. “I’m gonna head inside, you should too.” He says and I nod, following him like a zombie.

Once we’re inside, he closes the window and starts zigzagging around the hall, checking doors until he finds whatever it is, he’s looking for.

“Hey, this one has a bed in it. You should try to rest; we’re going to take a breather for a little bit and try to recover from all of…what just happened.” He says and I nod, slowly walking over to him.

He holds the door open for me and closes it behind me once we’re inside. The room is dimly lit by the low light of the Pustula’s blooming outside the window in a similar flower pot to the one Dwight had in his apartment.

That ghostly orange hue made me feel sleepy so I just threw myself onto the massive king-sized bed and laid there, staring at the ceiling. I felt Dwight crawl up onto the bed with me and I closed my eyes; just listening.

The sound of his hushed breathing, adjusting his position beside me, his shoes thudding on the floor as he kicks them off, the tiny plastic clink his glasses make when he puts them on the side table.

From there, my thoughts stray into the past…how I met them…how we came together…how eager they were when we formed The Legion. Running from the cops, losing them in the snow, laughing our asses off once we got back to the lodge then going out the next day like nothing ever happened.

My head started aching and I turned over onto my side, curling up and Dwight turned towards me. He extended his arms around me and scooted closer, pulling me in and I started to feel my eyes get hot.

“Frank…”

“Dwight…can you do me a favor?” I asked, feeling my throat aching and my voice started to crack.

“Anything,” his voice betrayed his concern and this sad look came over his eyes when I turned my head up to look at him.

“Don’t tell Bambi that I did this…Ok?” I say and buried my face into his chest, letting the fire flow from my eyes and the shaking erupted in my chest.

Dwight clung to me and held me close, stroking my head and pressing his nose into my hair. The feeling of his arms around me…made it so much easier for me to just fall apart right now.

“I didn’t see anything, I’m sleeping.” He says and I let out the smallest of chuckles…before descending into absolutely pathetic silent sobs. The familiar feeling of crying myself to sleep bugged the shit out of me as a kid and it just drove me to madness now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late uploads. Getting laid off completely distracted me from my usual schedule on these so I'm currently playing catch up. 'A Shadow Over Ormond' is coming next  
> Be sure to check out my Patreon and help me out if you can because if I can meet my first goal, I won't have to hunt for a new job and can focus on this and my YouTube Channel and my Twitch.  
> Check me out if you like my name is the same everywhere DeadOnArrivalGirl. Thanks guys :3


	11. Enemy of my Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lery's Memorial Institute has seen more than its fair share of horrors, blood and pain. On this, the longest night within the Realms of The Entity...it will see plenty more...but will it be of friend or foe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

_Ok…deep breaths, we’re only going to have one shot at this so if you miss…it’s your funeral._

“What kind of fucking pep talk is that?!” I hiss into the darkness, it slowly growing lighter around me as my hair uncoils from its (h/c) silken cocoon.

_Well excuse the fuck out of me, I forgot that not everyone is as masochistic as I am! Just be ready!!_

Once my hair has receded back to its normal length, I feel the tingling in my scalp and I shake my head to get rid of the feeling.

“God, I hate that.”

_Quit your bitching and focus! If she gets the drop on you then I hope you like having a dick in your ass!!_

“I’m probably going to end up with one in there anyways because I don’t see us getting out of here any other way!” I snap, a little louder than I intended.

I dropped from standing into a crouched position and just listened, hearing Sally appearing in various places around me and then groaning as she recovers from the movement. My leg muscles tensed each time I heard her rasp, as I knew that she was about to appear somewhere else and I wouldn’t know until she was already there!

Wicked caused a tingle at the back of my neck as she started to feel excited, which made _me_ feel anxious. Her being excited for something was not soothing for me at all, it just warned me that something unsavory was going to happen to me! She may not care – hell, she enjoys it – but I would have to sit through it and suffer.

_Keep an ear out for Herman, if he shows up, you are definitely getting that fucking stick shoved up your asshole._

“Can you please stop talking about things getting shoved up my asshole!!?” I snapped again, my voice bouncing off the walls and everything around me fell dead quiet. “Fuck…”

The only sound I heard was the hushed whistling of the wind outside the building. The ceiling was this muted green vomit color, the chill of the room causing these small streams of water to drip down from the ceiling. Out in the hall, I could see this grey silt falling from above, actively crumbling away as the elements finally got through to the building once protected by The Entity’s power.

The floor under my feet was built of cracked and broken tiles, their once glossy finish eaten away by time and countless feet running through here to hide from past Trials. I actually touched the wall and my mind recalled the red marks that I saw when chasing Nancy.

_They’re commonly called scratch marks, the marks themselves are pretty fucking weird honestly._

“How?” I ask and Wicked shudders as she settles in.

_What do you usually do when you don’t want to be taken somewhere? You grab something. Ever had someone wrench your hands away from it or you dig your nails in to desperately try to keep from being taken? That is where these marks come from…though once they’re created, they sort of remain. From what I gather, The Entity has no control over it at all…so it created The Red Stain._

“That laser eye looking thing?” I asked and she scoffed, I could feel the hitch of it in my chest.

_Ha! Yeah, pretty much. When Survivors run near those marks, they light up that pretty red color like motion sensors. They fade away after a little while but Killers can still see them for a hot second and it just makes me think of how many terrified, pure souls have seen the hell of this place before being dragged away._

Her voice is giddy but it makes my stomach twist with discomfort. That idea is daunting…there were infinite amounts of scratch marks around this place and I assumed I was only able to see them despite being a Survivor because of Wicked’s presence in my body.

“What a horrible place...” I say when this white cloud forms as I exhale; it’s so cold I can see my breath.

At that moment, another loud scream and a rush of air behind, had me dropping to my knees! In that split second of action, I landed on this small upturned shard of broken tile and it sliced into my right knee! It dug straight up and bumped into my kneecap, causing this nauseating scraping sensation across the bone and ripping the flesh. Cutting was fast, painful and hot…ripping was slow, agonizing and MOLTEN! The sound of skin tearing was something I could have gone my entire life without hearing. The sensation of my knee feeling opened up and dirty made me wanna throw up, but I pushed through it and threw myself forward in a summersault.

The sound of her blade slicing at the space I once occupied whiffed another puff of air against the back of my head and I turned through the roll, kneeling on my injured leg. I felt my knee slide a little as the blood made the tile slick under me, but I kept myself up. I looked up and saw the spot of bandages over her mouth were warped and stretched so that she could open her mouth, as if she’d been biting on them or using her tongue to manipulate them. I could see her cherry blossom pink lips and pale white skin; her teeth digging into the bandages. She suddenly keeled over, as if she was held up by hidden wires and groaned in pain as she stalled.

“Sally!! Wait…” I started and she raised her head at me and just sort of…hovered there, looking at me. “It’s me, (f/n) …do you remember?” I asked, reaching out to her and slowly limping towards her; blood dripping down my shin. “Please…I know Herman’s hurt you. I can’t imagine how much he’s hurt you and not just tonight, but I’m begging you to please remember that we’re together in this. You, me and the others…we all want to leave this place. Try to remember, please.” I almost begged when she just pointed at me. I didn’t understand.

“What?” I started when I had a massive hand wrap around my face and mouth

“There you are…” He suddenly pushed his hand against my eyes and covered my nose, restricting my ability to breath that way.

I struggled against his hold as long as I could, holding my breath until my lungs felt like they were going to pop. I gasped and had a thick and stinking cloth shoved against my tongue, that sour stink of dirty clothes left to rot. My mouth was overfilled and my cheeks bulged; the corners of my mouth feeling as if they were being scratched at.

“I’m not going to fall for your little tricks this time…The Entity is away…so the Killers get to play.” He whispers against my ear, his hot breath making spider legs tap dance across my skin.

He starts dragging me off towards the center of the building again, back towards the room with all the carnage on the monitors…was he going to film me too? Am I going to just be another poor soul whose pain is immortalized by being recorded?

Herman had both his arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me up as I tried going limp to keep from being dragged off. Becoming dead weight to him only provided a momentary stop and pushed his arms up under my bust to keep me from slipping away. I’ve never once in my life envied the Itty-Bitty-Titty-Committee and now I see that it has its benefits.

The room was less than colors and lights streaking across my vision as all my focus was on getting away from Herman! The sudden appearance of something in the center of the room had me pause in my struggles long enough to see that she’s holding two small, round pieces of plastic with long wires that lead over to one of the conductors and my body kicked into overdrive.

They’re going to shock me!!

I surprised Herman by going limp again but this time I pulled my legs up as if I were curling up and landed on my butt; his arms still around my body. I heard his voice as he grumbled out an insult against the back of my head; his arms tensing under my bust as he prepared to lift me up again.

Just as he moved to raise me up, I pushed off the ground hard and ended up getting flung into the air. That momentum allowed me to kick Sally in the jaw, hard enough to send her flying back and hitting the conductor; knocking it over with a loud crash. As my legs came back down, I lost my balance and my legs swung down and through Herman’s legs like I was a pendulum! That imbalance was enough to send him forward and falling over me; landing on my head with his full weight. His shoulder digging harshly into my neck and the last thing I heard was this faint crack inside my throat it felt like…everything went black.

The world came back to me in a slow and painful flurry, there was a sort of lump in the farthest back part of my throat. I tried to swallow, thinking that it might be phlegm or dry blood from the fall…but I couldn’t swallow! I tried to groan, but no sound came out either!

I tried to move but the only thing on me that reacted were my eyelids opening and revealing a world of blurry colors and the sound of electricity bouncing from rod to rod. Blinking a few times allowed me to see that I was still in the Treatment Theatre, below several massive monitors on that giant metal mechanism in the ceiling.

I tried to crane my neck to look around but even my head wouldn’t move for me!! If anything, my head should have been down and my chin pressed into my chest. My eyes started darting around the room, looking for any sign of Herman or Sally. I didn’t see anyone but my heart practically jumped into my throat when Herman appeared before me, his plague doctor mask scaring the ever-living shit out of me!

“Good, you’re awake!” He says, sounding excitedly anxious.

I tried to move again but absolutely nothing happened!!! I couldn’t get any part of my body to respond to me when he patted my cheek and my racing heart…stopped.

I can’t feel his fingers on my skin…no sensation at all…what’s happening? I look up into the eyes of the mask and see his glowing irises from behind those dark lenses. I only knew he was rubbing my cheek because I could just barely see it in my peripheral. My eyes began to grow blurry as they filled with tears, terror beginning to take over my entire body and this twisting in my stomach began.

“You won’t be able to move at the moment, in your little **_fit_** I landed on your neck and accidentally paralyzed you…from the neck down.” He runs a finger down my face and lower, I can’t feel anything so I have no idea what it is he’s doing until he lets out his twisted laughter and immediately shoves both his hands harshly against my chest. “Nothing, no reaction even when I pinch you here.” He says and based on how the muscles in his arms are clenching, I assume he’s trying to stimulate my chest but I can’t feel it.

The tears began to spill over the edges of my eyes and poured down, no sobs to be found as I felt the frustration beginning to take over. Nothing I did caused any sort of physical reaction in my body and I wanted to just scream, kick, twitch even one finger…nothing.

He let go of my chest and raised one of his leather clad hands to touch the tip of my nose, as if he were talking to a disobedient child. “You can sit still…watch me do all the things I want to do to your body…and you can’t do anything to stop it.”

My panic and frustration mixed in my body when I felt my lower belly relax and I just closed my eyes, listening to the sound of it creating a puddle on the floor beneath me. Herman immediately started laughing and my face went fiery red as shame and embarrassment made the frustration grow worse.

I wanted to get off this fucking table and stab him in both his eyes, rip his jaw off and feed him to the crows outside!! My belly was boiling with rage as I wanted nothing more than to do exactly what Frank did to him…he needs to be castrated with a rusty sawblade!!

_I am getting the biggest lady boner for this thought process right now, I’m ready when you are!_

“What? Are you _that_ scared that you pissed your pants like a toddler?” He takes a long, deep breath and tilts his head back, allowing me to see the smile on his face under the beak of the mask. “Ahhh, it’s stinking, like the filthy whore you are… ** _fitting_**.” He mocks as he reaches up to my head and pulls something and that’s when it clicks for me. I’m not standing here; I’m strapped to a table that’s turned to stand up. I’m like Frankenstein’s monster and now I just need a bolt of lightning and the brain of a dead person to complete my rebirth!

I was left there, in the chilling silence as the monitors above me spouted screams of terror and agony with a heavy layer of static. I felt as if I wasn’t even in my body at this point, not being able to feel anything from the neck down left me absolutely helpless. Not only could I not move my body physically, I couldn’t tell how hot or cold the room was, I couldn’t discern the tastes in my mouth, I couldn’t comprehend any smells…the only thing I could do was move my eyes and blink.

The only thing I was able to focus on was Sally sort of drifting in; she was truly a vision now! Her head was no longer wrapped in the bandages and the metal band over her scalp was gone. She had a head of fiery red hair, curly and bouncy with life; about shoulder length. It was almost like a 50’s bob with tight curls that rested on her shoulders, did she do that or did Carter? I can’t imagine her hair being like that naturally. Her skin was printer paper white and her lashes were long, red fans on her big doe eyes. Her eyes were this breathtaking ice blue and her nose was this delicate little button on her heart shaped face. Her high cheek bones were glossy but colorless as well, I’ll bet they were this beautiful rosy pink if she blushed. Her lips were a luscious crimson color; allowing the chilly fog of her breath to escape and linger in the air a bit before disappearing. If I’d ever seen her feet touch the ground, she would be roughly my height, if only a little bit taller and she was this petite framed thing; small and built like a bird.

_Damn…Sally looks fine as fuck._

I couldn’t reply as Sally appeared, holding a skinny syringe filled with this clear fluid; making me frantically try to escape or fight. The only thing I managed was this throaty whimper and my eyes darting all around again. My head felt like it was going to pop, I was trying so desperately to move something when she just stopped, hovering in front of me.

She didn’t speak to me, just raised a finger to her red lips and shushed at me. I just stared at her, tears dripping off my chin. She looked like a china doll that brings death and destruction to whoever owns it, like a beautiful but bad omen from a horror movie. There was this long beat where we just existed in this space when she started to…ascend. She quickly left my sight and without the use of my neck, I couldn’t look up at what she was doing.

My heart began to race; was she going to appear behind me suddenly and put the needle in my arm or neck?! I was startled when I heard what sounded like the lightest little ‘tch’ from above me and when she did appear before me, she presented the broken syringe to me in her hands. Despite the glass cutting into her fingers and the liquid dripping down her arms, she seemed unaffected by it.

She reached over and lightly touched my cheek with her still wet fingers and lightly rubbed the fluid under my eyes, making them sting and water even more.

“Trust me…” she says and I felt my heart do a back flip.

Oh my God…she’s still in there!? My mind began to race as Wicked’s ability to learn everything someone knows from just a touch, began digging through Sally’s memories. I felt a violent shudder go through my body and it jerked a little as I started learning more about what happened and what caused her to come here in the first place.

How could someone so absolutely breathtaking have come here to kill? While that thought baffled me, I had to remember that we don’t always look the way our personality really is…maybe there’s more to her madness? I started considering the idea that she deserved to be here, despite her kind gestures and I feared that she may just be toying with me…another piece of Herman’s ‘game’ as he so put it.

I wanted to glare at her, sneer, just some way convey that I wasn’t going to fall for her tricks…but the clarity her eyes held kept me from completely giving in to that assumption. With that…my thoughts drifted, to Julie. She’d been kind to me too, despite her and Frank having dated before and she accepted me without hesitation. My only experience with ex-girlfriends was Jack’s ex and she was almost as bad as he was; attempting to stab me with her keys for ‘stealing her man’.

Julie was that polar opposite; she’d been this strong and beautiful presence to me. She, Joey, Susie…they all took me in as soon as Frank did. Some pessimistic part of me wanted to think that it was just because their leader had taken a liking; so, they did too. I knew better though, if they had thought differently, they could have made that clear in any of the many times we were alone.

Looking into Sally’s glistening blue eyes, I felt her agony as the information began to take its new place in my head, almost like they were my own memories.

She’d been born to two loving and kind parents, an only child since her birth nearly ended her mother’s life. They called her a miracle; their little angel and she truly was. She was well behaved, acted like a proper lady and dreamed of being a mother one day. Her life wasn’t monetarily wealthy but she didn’t need it, she had all she needed…all that was missing…was love.

She found it and when she left home to start her own life at the young age of seventeen, everything looked to be lining up for her. Her marriage was perfect, her house was her own and her wonderful parents were supportive from afar.

Then her husband never came home…she worried when she received a visit from his boss; grave news. Her fairytale world was starting to crumble, the man of her dreams was gone and so too were her chances of being a mother. She sought comfort and immediately packed a bag, aiming for home…tragedy waited for her there too.

Unbeknownst to her, almost a week before…there had been a fire. Her parents perished in the flames and there was nothing left of the home she’d known for seventeen dreamy years. Her crumbling world of love and family came crashing down on her hard as the reality of her situation began to set in.

Her parents were gone, her husband was gone, she had no siblings and no extended family to speak of. She had no children, no job and because she’d left in such a hurry…she only had the house filled with memories of her husband to return to. How would she afford food? How would she be able to pay for anything? She’d never worked a day in her life because of her upbringing; while old fashioned, it fit her dream so she never questioned it and her husband supported it. Who wouldn’t want to come home from a hard day at work to a clean house and cooked meal and a beautiful wife to boot?

Her only chance…was the asylum, Crotus Prenn Asylum. Only the truly desperate went there for work…she was truly desperate. The agony from losing everything and everyone in one foul swoop left her once dreamy days and thoughts somber and dark.

Her motherly dreams were corrupted in a way most grim when she started working there as a nurse. Her desire to survive began to eat away at her desire to do her best for the patients she worked with. There were clearly marked ways to treat them, to help them get better and improve their quality of life…but without help; she had no choice but to cut corners.

The paychecks she would receive were pitiful at best…but it kept her alive. She would work hard, try her best to follow all the instructions in the patient files but at the end of a long night of being mistreated and hated; she could only return home and cry herself to sleep…clutching her husbands’ best suit.

Watching doctors mistreat patients and patients acting without limits wore down her already ailing mind. Feces and vomit were dangerous projectiles that she went home covered in after a long, grueling nightshift. Obscenities were commonplace, how many patients would she see violating another or masturbating at her without shame? Doctors and nurses hooking up with each other and sometimes doing the same to patients that had the mindset of a confused and frightened child!

The nights filled with screams of the insane, the lewd sounds that came from empty rooms and the unending sorrow that waited for her when she would leave…there was no escape from the pain…no escape from the madness. It was too much.

She snapped.

It happened just as a doctor began to berate her with another nurse in the room. They’d been ‘busy’ and she’d interrupted them to make one last attempt to do her job well; she asked for some help getting a patient into bed. He was too heavy for her to lift herself but did the doctor care? No, how dare she interrupt him while he was busy?! She was nothing more than a lowly nurse and would just do her job and look pretty while doing it.

His stinking breath of coffee and cigarettes choked her and she tried to look away but he yelled and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him and he continue to shout. In a flash…his spittle hitting her cheeks and the mounting screams out in the hall from his elevated voice, were only drowned out by the screaming of the woman he’d been screwing!

She blinked and the woman was on the ground, screaming in terror and the doctor had fallen to his knees before Sally; gurgling and choking on the blood pouring from his lips. She hadn’t even realized that she’d done it when she stabbed him in the neck with her pen; the ink dripping down his neck and staining the collar of his shirt black and red.

She pulled her hand away, leaving the pen in his neck and looked up at the other nurse; screaming and calling her crazy.

“Crazy? Me?! YOU THINK I’M THE CRAZY ONE!?” her musical voice was drowned out by the yelling out in the hall and she charged at that other nurse.

The woman tried to crawl away in a panic, but Sally was quickly straddling her hips and squeezing her hands around her throat. The wide eyes of that woman began watering as she clenched up at Sally’s face frantically; no longer able to scream as she was losing air.

“You are always in here, flashing the doctors, tormenting the other patients and just whoring around this hospital while I’m out there getting shit on and spit on, cleaning up vomit and resorting to drastic measures to even get through the night. You have the fucking audacity to call me crazy?! At least I know how to keep my legs closed long enough to answer the damn call button when a patient is begging for help up!!! You disgust me!! You all disgust me!! YOU’RE THE CRAZY ONES!!” she screamed but there was no answer…

No more struggling…

No more wheezing…

The rage that had filled Sally’s blood quickly faded and she actually looked at the woman before her; it was over. She was dead. Her eyes were open, her bloodshot eyes were open and her pulse was gone.

She didn’t cry, she didn’t scream, she just sat there on her hips and listened as the yelling began to soothe. The low muttering to nobody and hysterical laughter was almost like music right now. This feeling filled her body…this satisfaction of sorts. Her body began to feel soothed, her heavy breathing slowed until it was normal again and the sweat on her face cooled quickly.

After a moment, she stood up and started walking towards the door; she knew what she had to do now. It was clear now, all this pain and all this suffering…she had the power all this time and she had no idea! She felt guilty for that; why hadn’t she thought of it sooner? Her brain began to argue the idea to itself, if she just killed everyone here then they would no longer suffer or hurt anymore. Not much to be concerned about when you’re dead, right? At the same time, she knew it was brutal murder in a way most vicious; watching the life fade from that woman’s eyes or the blood that sprayed from the doctor.

It had begun simply with her walking into the operation room, where all their tools were kept for when they were needed. She dug through the clearly uncleaned and forgotten tools, looking for something…she wasn’t sure what yet.

This was when she began laughing…just laughing so hard that tears began to fall. These tools were so rusted and covered with dust…this was no hospital; it was a dumping ground for whoever you didn’t want. It wouldn’t shock her at all if not _one_ procedure had been performed in this place.

Her hand found the grip of a long-abandoned tool, a bone saw with a large metal bow with black chipping off the blade. She laid her finger against the teeth and without applying much pressure; she bled. She left the room and the slaughter began when a rogue patient began tugging her towards the bathroom.

She slit his throat and watched as he choked on his own blood and fell motionless. Strange, she thought he would have lived a little longer…he shouldn’t have panicked.

She began going from room to room, testing new and efficient ways to end their lives…the saw blade helped for when they tried to fight…but it was so messy. She decided that choking the life out of them was the most efficient; clean and they couldn’t really fight without being able to breathe.

It just made sense.

In the morning…I guess she herself didn’t remember it since it was like a really sloppy jump cut in a movie, she could see and hear as the sun rose up and birds began to sing. The hospital was quiet…she wasn’t sure how long the kills actually took or how long she’d been sitting against the wall in that desolate hallway.

What she did know was that some glass had to have broken when the morning crew arrived and women started screaming. It was fast, the men in the group approached her slowly; asking what happened…she didn’t answer. It was fast, she was sentenced and carted away from that massive murder house only for the vehicle to be attacked and flipped over. The accident had knocked her transporters unconscious and she could hear what sounded like something crawling along the outside of the van. She was suddenly surprised by the doors flying off and a black fog filling the car.

It was the color of smoke but there was no smoke, no heat or anything like that…in fact, it was cold. When the fog cleared, her shackles had vanished and she was alone. Slowly, unsure if this was actually happening or not, she stepped out of the overturned car and could hear what sounded like whispering in her mind. It promised power, promised peace, promised love…all it wanted in return…was…

S A C R I F I C E

The whispering introduced itself as The Entity, as per her teachings…she bowed politely despite seeing no one and allowed it to unleash its power within her; her whole body being enraptured with this cold. She could feel her skin grow colder and colder, her bones began to disintegrate within her muscles and what little body fat she’d held onto burned away until she was near skeletal! She was presented with something…it appeared from nowhere, a simple white sack like mask. She asked why and was told that she was far too pretty to scare anyone, the mask would hide her beauty and give her a more potent effect on her prey.

She donned the mask as if it were actually made for her, comfortably settling her red curls at the base of her neck and despite it not having any holes to speak of…she could see everything as if she were wearing nothing. One of the officers with her, began coming to…she felt her body raise up from the ground and was annoyed when he started screaming ‘WITCH’. She turned and made quick work of him and his colleagues, their blood was nothing more than a baptism for her and her new powers.

With their four lives now extinguished, she was praised and guided into that black fog…towards her new home.

Over time…her success in the Trials gave her impossible gifts; she was granted the ring that was taken from her when she was detained, a silver wedding band with her husband’s matching one welded to it. She was granted the warmth of her husband’s embrace when she would sleep…and something that was not only her salvation, but mine as well.

She was granted the mental fortitude to soothe the madness that plagued her fragile mind; the ability to find inner peace no matter what she faces. It made me sad for her…she just wanted some semblance of normalcy and peace again; a simple woman with simple desires.

_Jeez…this is one of the saddest memories I’ve ever seen…this shit is bumming me out._

I futilely tried to convey to her that I understood, but she pulled her hand back and Herman walked into the room. By the ways his fists were clenched and how his shoulders were set back; he was annoyed.

I felt fear well up in the pit of my stomach as he wordlessly walked behind me; not openly acknowledging me or Sally. She simply drifted away from me and I was left anxiously waiting as I lost sight of her and was seemingly left alone for a long moment of utter silence.

I was startled by this black collar being lowered down around my neck and clicking closed behind my neck, pinching the skin and sending tiny little sparks of pain zapping across my scalp. I couldn’t react or move as he stepped around the table and looked down at me, I could see the smug look in his eyes through the lenses of the Plague Doctor mask.

“Don’t look so disgruntled, whoring bitches like you need to be broken, re-educated and tamed. So, I’ll tame you like I would any other hopeless bitch in heat.” He says and pulls out a leather leash and attaches it to the collar.

“Now that there is no Entity to heal or enforce any of its rules, I’d like to do some experimentation with reproduction. We are no longer immortal so I want to see if it’s too weak to prevent history from repeating itself. You’ll come to see that I love learning things with my own two hands and seeing the proof with my own two eyes.” He then worried the beak on his mask, as if he were stroking his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll get the joy of physically destroying you inside, fathering this experiment myself and I’ll take immense satisfaction in watching you get ripped apart from the inside out.” He says and gently places one of his leathery gloved hands against my cheek, rubbing under my watery eyes with his thumb.

I expected to smell the old leather of his gloves, blood or something, but I couldn’t smell anything…outside of being able to see and hear him; I felt nothing. His eyes just held my gaze for an awkwardly long moment as he just held that position for what felt like an hour at least. He didn’t move or say anything, save for the thumb on my cheek.

He suddenly lunges at me and grabs my head, one hand on my chin and one hand on my shoulder. He twists violently and this deep and boney crack happens inside my neck; flipping some switch in my body that brought every part of me that had previously been numb and useless to life.

My entire body was flooded with all the sensations and feelings and the ability to move! It was so jarring that I would have fallen over if I hadn’t been strapped to a table. Everything just sprung to life at once, my arms and legs resisted the straps; the leather biting into my skin. I wanted to vomit as a myriad of smells and pain began to batter my brain, this sour taste forming at the back of my throat.

“I’ve never even dreamed of having children…but with The Entity gone, might as well swing while the irons hot.” He says and reaches behind him, pressing a button that releases all my restraints and I’m deposited on the floor; almost not bringing up my arms fast enough to catch myself. The feeling in my limbs was so foreign and I couldn’t get my legs to move fast enough as I tried to stand up.

Herman drew near and I looked up only to be kicked in the face with his heavy, blood stained boot and thrown onto my back. This heat flowed from a small gash on my cheek and by pure reflex, I looked around for something to defend myself with and saw a pair of surgical scissors; abandoned on the floor with a heavy layer of rust.

I reached for them only to have Herman stomp on my hand, the handle of the scissors pressing against my palm painfully; threatening to break through my skin. He laughed as I whimpered, feeling two of my fingers go numb from the base upward and this terrifying thought entered my mind. What if he only fixed me now, so he could break me apart one body part at a time?!

I turned my head and looked up at him, glaring at this monster that once was a man; him losing his absolute shit he was laughing so hard. I don’t even know what he did to my neck to paralyze me until he saw fit to undo it, but my rage and hatred was boiling in my blood. Inside, I could feel Wicked curling her lips back in disgust and I envisioned a cat puffing up its fur and hissing.

_I want to bite his dick off and make him choke on it._

He pulled his boot off my hand and I curled up into a ball, pulling my hand close to my chest; seeing that the tips of my fingers are turning purple. I cried out as he suddenly grabbed my ankle and started dragging me across the floor; metal grating aggressively gnawing at my loose clothing like a hungry piranha.

“As much as I would love to just pick you apart from the outside in and keep you conscious for the whole thing, I may not get another chance at this. It’s been a while since I could hurt someone and actually get to enjoy their pain.” He laughs and deposits me in the middle of the room, the light breeze from below making me look down and seeing that among all the pipes and surrounding the orange light it cast, I could see thousands of little buds of Pustula’s!! Their hidden petals not yet blossomed, the fleshy stems continuing to just wind around each other and create more buds.

This little flag went up in my brain; Wicked mentioned that these flowers are a direct line to The Entity…does that mean that it can control them? Just as that thought graces my mind, one of the stems twitches and I feel this sinking sensation in my lower belly.

I’m suddenly dragged up by the collar around my neck, the leather pinching my skin and Herman grabs my chin, squeezing my face as he makes me look up at him.

“You will do as you’re told, your little trick won’t work on me this time.” He warns, pressing his fingers harder into my cheeks and forcing my teeth apart; partially opening my mouth.

The tears overwhelmed his image and he was nothing beyond bland colors smeared across my vision. I fruitlessly tried to resist but he gave me this ugly glare, telling me without words not to try so my resistance falls flat.

“Now…” he pauses and slowly removes his hand from my chin and leaving me to kneel, the metal grating leaving marks in my skin that start to ache. “Apologize for tripping me.” He commands, this air of power behind it that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up despite the collar.

Me…apologize?! He’s the one who actually paralyzed me and left me like that till he saw fit!! He wants me to apologize…to make me feel small. Bastard.

I ground my teeth together but forced myself to sit up on my knees and raise my head to him, I held his stare. “I’m sorry…for tripping you.” I say and he drops the leash before walking away and messing with the now upright panel that Sally fell into after I tried to escape the first time.

I took the leash and realized it was like the ones they used for police dogs; a few yards long but strong enough not to be chewed through easily.

“I came prepared for you,” he says and I look up; he hasn’t taken his eyes off his hands. “Sally, let’s get her set up so we can start.” He calls out and Sally appears in a haze of black smoke and flickering orange lights that all quickly vanish just as quickly as she appeared.

She hovered over me and roughly grabbed the waistline of my jeans, raising me up to carry me off…but the seam had had enough. The stitching over my crotch ripped loudly and I was dropped onto the floor with a hollow metal thud. This sound somewhere between a scream and a squeak escaped my mouth as I pressed my burning forehead into the floor and tried to fight my way through the shame.

The jeans had given up after everything I’d been through and were completely ruined; Caleb had already done a number on me before and I’d left my underwear back at the saloon. I was completely exposed from the waist down, causing Herman to laugh loudly and kick my lower back, pushing me over onto my side.

“Ooh…what’s this?” he says and kneels beside me, holding up a scalpel. I raised my arms to try and block my face but he wasn’t going to use it for that. He slowly and carefully used it to cut away the buttons on the flannel I was wearing. I wanted to push him back but I knew if I tried, he’d stab me with it. As he removed the last button and revealed my intricate bralette, he shamelessly palmed one of my breasts. He dragged his thumbnail over the rose embroidery and tickled the nipple beneath into standing erect.

“You got all dressed up, how sweet. I bet Frank never got to see you in this…did he?” he asks as he then raises the handle of the scalpel to Sally who takes it and hands him some trauma scissors and he starts cutting away what remains of my jeans still wrapped around my legs. “I guess that’ll make ruining you all the sweeter, won’t it?” he taunts, roughly yanking the loose denim out from under me.

The sensation of my lower body being pressed against the floor as I sat there, crossing my legs; made me feel sickeningly exposed. I chastised myself for thinking I’d gotten used to being naked all the time…but this was different. Herman wasn’t out for sex, something simple that I was used to by now. Frank was right, Herman was out to hit Frank where it hurts and I was the perfect tool for him to do that. That’s all he saw me as…a tool to use against Frank; I’m not a person to him. I probably have less value than a roach to him, it didn’t matter even if I could trigger my Perk…he was going to do horrible things to me no matter what…but I would at least be in control if I managed that.

He bowed his head a little, not looking right at me to keep cutting the thick denim. A lightbulb went off in my head; with that mask on…he won’t be able to see anything in his peripheral.

_Come on…try to kiss him!!_

I tried to raise my head but Carter suddenly sat up and back handed my jaw, my teeth grinding together roughly and jarring my head like I’d been hit with a bat.

“How dare you still try and pull that dirty little trick? Filthy little bitch,” he says and stands up, going away from me again.

Damn him…I cringed as I rolled over onto my belly and scooted myself across the floor until I was no longer on the grating that covered the center floor of the room.

I wanted to curl up into a ball and just die…the humiliation of just being left here like this was pounding inside my head and beating down my sense of self preservation. I wanted to push Wicked forward so that she could go wild like she wanted and I wouldn’t have to be present…but her whispering in my head put a stop to that train of thought.

_Believe me, I’d love nothing more than to fuck this guy into next year and then fuck him with his own severed dick…but there’s a problem. I wasn’t lying when I told everyone I would slowly fade back into my place within your being…time is still passing and I’m still fading. You have to take this yourself because I have to use what little power I do have to keep you from dying from…whatever this fucker has planned for you! We’re running out of time; you have to be strong girl._

I slowly start working myself out of this crocodile position I’ve taken on the floor, digging into the darkest and deepest recesses of my mind. Be strong? All the times in my life that I had to be strong in the interest of others comfort. I bottled up everything after my parent’s deaths and hid it so that no one would feel uncomfortable talking to the orphan girl that killed her kidnapper.

I clung to Joseph back home because I didn’t want to be looked at as a solo person; I wanted them to see his smile and pretend I wasn’t there.

I’d used every last piece of my will power to not lose my mind in this hellscape…I don’t know where I found it. I don’t know how I still had anything left in me…but I did. I clung to that last, trembling little shred of my bravery and raised my eyes to Herman, glaring at him with it. This seemed to amuse him as he laughs and tugs on my leash a little, forcing me to lean forward enough to need to put my hands down on the ground to keep myself up.

“You _impress_ me, so much resolve, tenacity, resistance…I respect that. You’ll come to learn that gaining my respect means next to **nothing** , let’s get these experiments started then.” He says and walks behind me.

“What…kind of experiments could you possibly have for me? You said reproduction…the thing that happened to Michelle…are you trying to recreate it?” I asked, somehow keeping my voice from shaking and he chuckled; his deep voice buzzing in my ears.

“Not necessarily recreate, more…reenact, now that I’ve got this power and the freedom to use it…I want to use you as my first test subject. Sadly, Sally’s body is far too frail to ever run the possibility of carrying a child, let alone birthing one. Plus, she’s a Killer…you’re a Survivor so I’d like to put it to the test.” I hear a rustle of fabric and feel my body start popping with goosebumps.

I’m terrified of what he’s going to do with me…if he intends to actually impregnate me to recreate what happened to Michelle…he must not know the truth about where Wicked actually came from!

_His PhD in crazy means nothing, he’s just probably going to get you normal pregnant, not stolen piece of someone’s soul pregnant like Michelle was. Her and The Directors bodies created a new body for me, I just gave the cells a little boost._

Wicked’s snide tone made my brain kick into overdrive, that shred of bravery began to stem little buds…trying to keep growing.

If he didn’t know the truth about how Wicked came here, then his attempt would be completely fruitless. Normal pregnant was something I could easily deal with later; besides…like hell would I ever carry a child of this fucker to term!

I started to plot out my next move when my hips were suddenly raised up in the air and I kept my hands pressed against the floor; holding myself up in an almost handstand type of position. Herman’s hands were huge on my hips, almost reaching all the way around when he lifted me up.

I felt my ass cheeks get spread apart and my secondary entrance was opened up too much, causing this pinching sensation; something tore. “Ahh!” I cried out when something wet and slimy slid into me and I felt this sickening chill slither through my nerves. “Something…something ripped!!” I cried out but my cries were met with me being dragged backwards, Herman’s arms around my hips and me struggled to keep myself up with my arms.

Once he was standing somewhere he liked, he stopped and I was able to brace myself against the ground again, my biceps screaming.

“Well I don’t want to stick it into you dry…that would hurt a lot worse; this is me being kind by preparing you first. You should know my methods better…after last time.” He mocks, speaking against my entrance and puffing hot air into me before pushing his tongue back inside.

I felt two parts of me warring with each other inside my head, I wanted to rip my head off my body and throw it in the trash. The turmoil was maddening and growing worse the more his tongue moved inside me.

Part of me wanted so badly to embrace the pleasure of it, my head growing warm this dark sensation filling the pit of my stomach. He was pressing his tongue so far into my ass and it was a sickly satisfying sensation to feel the wet muscle moving inside.

That same feeling was dulled out by the aggressive frustration my muscles felt, as I fought down the urge to resist. To kick and fight and bite and scratch with everything I had, to get him away from me. **To Kill Him!**

He knew I was a mess inside; he must have because he laughed against my hole; pressing his tongue even harder against the tender walls inside my ass. I ground my teeth together and actually arched back so much that my hands left the floor, I felt my head tap the heel of one of my feet.

I felt tears drip from my eyes as my tense muscles kept me in that uncomfortable upside down back bend while Herman violated me and this other realization came to me. He was doing this to make me feel conflicted inside, fight against my instincts so that when he actually does take me…I’ll view it as the lesser of the evils he commits against me.

I only know this because, to do what he’s doing to me…he has to touch me; skin to skin somehow. Wicked’s ability was activated and it was a welcome mental distraction from this physical assault. I also learned that he doesn’t know about Sally’s gift from The Entity, he thinks he’s got her locked in a box…unaware that she actually has the keys.

I was startled as something longer and larger than his tongue slid into me and I let out this gasp that made him laugh loudly, pushing whatever it was in and out of me faster and this wet squishing sound was both heard and felt behind my head. I winced as I resisted the urge to beg him to take his finger out of me; the appendage twisting and rubbing inside my hole and sending more mixed feelings shooting up my back. My head was pleading with the darkest part of my soul to just give in and enjoy that wet, dirty feeling that I loved so _very_ much!

The wet, slippery sensation between my cheeks made me want to do more to please him, to excite him and make him do more to me. That dirty sensation of feeling defiled and used was setting off all the pleasant alarm bells in my head and I felt my lips spread into a sick smile.

This shouldn’t feel good at all, but my body still responded by twitching and quivering as he teased my often-neglected hole. My lower back began to relax, my legs spreading a little wider to let him delve deeper into my ass and this very sudden jolt zapped through my belly. I let out a shrill cry and Herman laughed against my buttcheek as he pushes a third finger into my hole, beginning the agonizing process of stretching me out.

“See, I learned something about you from our last encounter. You are capable of pulling us into our desires…but you are also weak against your own.” His fingers begin pumping in and out of my ass and I feel the pleasure starting to dance along my spine and up the back of my neck.

My long (h/c) hair was hanging down past my face, one section of my bangs refusing to follow the rest and stuck out; its own strangely perfect little curl.

Cold fingers spread into my hair and grasped the back of my head before grabbing my hair and wrenching me up, to see that Sally was the owner of that hand. I gasped as my back was arched and she pulled me close, pushing her tongue into my open mouth and kissing me deeply.

My body was now acting as a sort of bridge between Sally and Herman, as he continued fingering my ass, while Sally basically skull fucked me with her tongue.

Sally’s taste is strangely bitter, like the harsh bite of a bourbon or whiskey but there was this sweeter aftertaste when she pulled away to breathe. It was almost tart but still that sugary taste made me hunger for more of it so I eagerly grasped her cheeks and pulled her back in again. My mind was clouded with my own desires and I came to the stark realization that I was about to be swallowed up by everything I was trying so hard to fight. I couldn’t hear Wicked at all; she had no sort of commentary at the moment and I actually wished I could heard her; something to root me to reality…but I faded. I faded in a way I hadn’t been aware of before, the one thing that was both my escape and my shackles in this hell hole. I faded into the nymphomaniac that had been awoken in me here and let that flood of lust and manic pleasure take me away.

I feel another pinch as he starts pushing in a fourth finger and my hand flies back on reflex and pulls his hand away from my ass just enough to keep that fourth finger out. I’d placed my other hand on Sally’s shoulder suddenly and was essentially using her to hold me up so I could look back at Herman, who surprisingly didn’t look mad. In fact, he looked rather smug as he stood up; still holding me up with his free hand under my belly and his three fingers in my ass.

“What was that? Did that hurt?” he asks, tenderly rubbing my upper wall with his middle finger and smiling up at me.

I hadn’t even realized he’d removed the Plague Doctor mask, he had none of his usual gnarly headgear on under it and so I just saw this handsome, dark skinned man smirking up at me. That smug look would usually make me angry but right now…it just made me want to do even more for him!

He spread my cheeks apart more and spit almost directly into it, making me jump a little at how deliciously disgusting it felt. In that split second of him spitting into me, the warm spit from his mouth grew cold by the time it reached me and sent a terrible chill up my back; making me squirm.

Herman then grabbed both my hips with his hands and carefully lowered me till my feet touched the floor again. Once I was standing again, he pushed me towards the table I’d been on top of before and I went over to it without resistance. I bumped my knee against the edge as I climbed on top of it, but just as I started to get situated on my hands and knees, Herman pushed my shoulder roughly and I fell onto my side.

I rolled onto my back so I could look at him, watching as he grabbed my hips and pulled me forward till my butt just barely hung over the edge of the table. I left my legs spread as he stepped up against me, I could feel the heat from his bulge against me and I shivered at the idea. I vaguely remembered how it felt for him to just rip me up inside and for some reason, I was looking forward to it this time.

Maybe it was because he was actually trying to keep me intact this time. Maybe it was because I wasn’t going to be surgically destroyed this time. I honestly wasn’t sure why I was looking forward to this assault, but I still smiled up to him as he undid his pants.

My rationale was that I can handle sex and any horrible thing he does to me in that regard, if he decided to veer into surgical territory like before…I might not be able to _survive it_ long enough to handle it.

The tip of his cock stung against that small rip in my asshole and stretched me uncomfortably as he pushed into me. I felt this hellish mix of joy and anxiety fill my bones as he begins to grow wedged inside me; unable to push in any further without immense discomfort.

He groans and reaches down, grabbing my hips with both his hands and slowly pulling out of me a little. That primal sound making my heart shudder and I let out a groan myself, letting my head lean back.

“Ooohhh yess…”I mutter and he grins down at me, slowly pushing himself back inside me and I reactively relax my muscles; trying to take him deeper into me. I bite my lower lip and smile up at him.

“You see? You’re just as much a slave to your own desires as your Perk makes us. A disgusting little vagabond that loves nothing more than to be used and thrown away like a condom. Only you like to come crawling back for more.” He says and I finally feel that ache in my body as he pushes up too far and I let out this tiny whimper.

“Fuck you…” I growl and cover my face. “I hate…ohhh fuck, I hate how much I love this. Please…fuck me!” I plead and he smiles, pulling me down a little harder to push up into me.

“Good girl, asking so nicely.” He says when he snaps his fingers and Sally appears beside the table, looking down at me when Herman suddenly grabs the front of her dress and pulls her closer, kissing her hard and shamelessly licking at her upper lip.

I ground my teeth together and inhaled through them as his sheer girth made my stomach do flips. This fire began to spread up into me and this floating feeling started to spread into my arms and chest, this uneasiness continuing to assault me.

He stopped kissing Sally and she turned her attention to me, gingerly touching my jaw and lips with her fingers when she looked down at my bralette.

“Beautiful craftsmanship…” she mutters as she delicately pushes under one of the straps and lightly coaxes it off my shoulder, lightly rubbing against my pert nipple as she reveals my breasts. “Such a beautiful body…” she says and latches onto my right breast.

I sighed as her tongue began to work around my nipple and somehow made Herman’s thrusts inside me that much more pleasurable. I opened my mouth to let out another low moan as the feelings were starting to absolutely take over my mind.

Just then, his thrusts became a little more erratic and his labored breathing carried a throaty groan. His grip on my hips grew tighter and I ended up clutching Sally’s head to my breast, her licking becoming faster.

“Yes, yes, yes, please. I want it, I want it in me, I wanna fucking feel you cum into me!” I pled, all sense of shame or fear gone.

Any will I had to resist this was completely and totally gone and my heart was pounding in my chest for a completely different reason now.

“Clench down, bare down and try to push me out as I cum in you!” he orders and I do so, my resisting muscles being forced apart as the sensation of my pushing was met with fierce resistance. That resistance was quickly followed by this blazing flood that began to fill me up and my body trembled as that filthy, disgusting load began to penetrate the deepest part of my anus.

He waited a moment, his thrusts stopping before he just pulled himself out of me, this wet pop forcing me to remember that there was a tear in my asshole. I let out this little squeak as he did this and Sally pulled away from my breast, this shiny trail of saliva keeping her connected by the tongue to my nipple. She then began kissing me again, her eyes also beginning to cloud over with pleasure as she kissed me.

Herman seemed to move away but I was startled by Sally getting lifted up and off of me, me; pathetically reaching out for her and whining like a child. He calmly sets her down and charmingly rubs her slender hips as he gazes into her eyes almost lovingly.

“Be a dear and eat my cum out of her ass, I’ll be only a moment. Don’t…swallow.” He warns and she nods, looking drunk on pleasure and lust.

He turns to walk away and Sally gets on her knees and lightly pushes my thighs apart. I sit up to look down at her and see this small, nearly transparent drop of spit sliding down my belly towards her. Her big, beautiful blue eyes looking up at me is the epitome of a wet dream image.

She crouched down between my thighs and opened her mouth, sticking her tongue out and looking up at me with this sexy, pleading expression on her face. “Bare down…like before…push it into my mouth.” She says and waits patiently, her mouth open, her tongue out and her hands cupped under her chin to ensure she doesn’t miss any.

I slowly and carefully began to tense the muscles in my lower belly and butt when she makes this little ‘Annnh’ noise and I look down, seeing the white sloppy mess trickling out of me and into her mouth, onto her tongue and pooling in the back of her throat.

“Oh my God…that’s so sexy…” I say when I feel vibrations in the floor; he’s coming back now.

I take a moment and lay back, allowing myself to catch my breath before Herman returns for another round of harshly dicking me down. I look up and can see the window for the second level above, the windows are all covered by this metal grating that looks like they could be opened somehow. There’s one window that’s just unobstructed and there’s another tall doorway that just leads straight over the ledge. I kind of just let out this chuckle when there was this little flash of something orange.

I tilted my head when Susie’s beautiful mask appeared on that ledge and I was immediately struck with this wave of shock and relief. The cavalry has arrived!

“Tell me what I can do to help?” she whispers when a loud clang has me whip my head around to see that Sally is still sitting on the floor in that same spot with her mouth open and the cum I just shit into her mouth and when I look back up, Susie has disappeared.

Looking back to him, he’s pulled the garment bag away from the dress and I tilt my head at it. It was clearly vintage, looking pristine and untouched by even the lightest speck of dust. The dress was this soft, sky blue color with a bunched up, off the shoulder neckline and a ruffled bodice. From there, the skirt plunged down to knee length and while the top layer was this lovely sheer blue and lavender gradient, the bottom was a solid lavender that covered up all the layers that gave it its shape. It was by all intents and purposes, lovely but I was very worried about _why_ he was bringing that out right now.

“I’ve been saving this one for a long time…I can’t wait to watch you paint this beauty red.” He says and I felt a little antenna go up in my head.

“Um…what?” I say aloud and he just chuckles, carefully removing the wire hanger and reaching up the skirt to prepare it for…me, I suppose.

I feel the wheels in my head spinning and plead for help from Wicked but my hopes sink when I feel her seeming to shift around inside my head…she’s uncomfortable.

_Um…I…I don’t know…I didn’t find anything about that dress before!_

“I’ll bet you’re wondering why you can’t figure out what I’m planning?” he says and hangs the hanger on the hook nearby that once meant Sacrifice for us. “You seem to think I haven’t taken proper precaution against someone with Wicked’s ability.” He points at his head and my mind jumps back to what it looked like before.

There were so many modifications made to his head that I nearly forgot about it, there was a metal plate back there that allowed for easy access to what I could only assume was the brain of a madman. I was starting to question if he actually _removed_ part of it to avoid Wicked digging into his life’s story.

_You know, he’s nuts so I wouldn’t put it past him._

I feel my shoulders set as I tense up, taking a more confident stance, despite being naked from the waist down; I wasn’t scared or shy anymore…I was ready. “Is this some sort of…fashion fetish for you or are _you_ gonna put the dress on?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. That sentence didn’t come out sounding as confident or snarky as I’d intended.

“I don’t think my girlish figure fits this cut…but you will. Sally,” he calls out and starts towards me.

I step back by reflex and he comes to a stop, lowering the dress in his hands till the hem is just above the dirty floor. His face is uncovered by a mask and this almost…hurt expression glosses over his eyes. I -astoundingly- felt bad for reacting that way when he wasn’t doing anything to me right now.

I stood up straight and raised my arms up, like I was a little girl again and my mother was helping me get dressed. I wait when he draws closer and holds it up to my body, seeming to confirming that I won’t hurt it or anything when he turns back and carefully drapes the garment over a clean table. I lower my arms and watch as he approaches me with a rag and starts dabbing at my thighs.

“Open your legs, I’ll not have you ruin this garment because you can’t keep it inside.” He says easily, as if he weren’t trying to take a jab at me about my vagina.

I reluctantly turn away from him and spread my legs, reaching back and spreading myself open for him to see the damage he did and he starts wiping away at the mess he and Sally left me.

“Herman,” I start but he clears his throat and I stop; unspoken warning received. “Ahem, _Dr. Carter_.” I start and he sighs, continuing with his impromptu display of kindness. “Exactly…what do you want from me?” My voice is low and mostly steady, though I can feel my body shaking. Whether I was shaking from anger or embarrassment or fear was unclear for me.

He didn’t answer me, just lightly dabbed at my entrance before standing up and blankly grabbing at the leash I was attached to and tugging me along to follow him. He didn’t even try to talk to me, just yanked me along behind him, like a disobedient dog being dragged about by some brat who doesn’t know that dogs can _choke_! He guides -or drags- me over to the center of the room again and wraps the leash around the base of the hook. The way he tied the knot was something completely foreign to me and even if I were to try and cut through it, it would take a minute. Damn thing was built to withstand a fucking police dog from chewing through it…I doubt I’d have much success if I even tried.

“Let’s try this on for size. If you do anything to hurt this dress, I’ll make a new one out of your skin.” He warns and I can’t help the snort that escapes me.

“I thought that was Leatherface’s job…” I said and he cast me this glare I always got when I made a crappy joke like that. “I’m sorry,” I said and lowered my head, some twisted and deep-rooted part of me knowing how he wants me to act, despite my Perk not being activated.

_Look, you haven’t wasted Take One yet, you’ve still got an opportunity to use it on him and keep him busy so Sally and Susie can get him! Just keep playing this part, I know it’s hard but keep going!_

I held my tongue, I wanted so badly to mention that the only thing that’s hard his Herman’s massive schlong. I only know that for a fact though…because it keeps TAPPING ME ON MY HIP!!

He hasn’t put it away this entire time so its just out, ramrod hard and he’s not reacting to it tapping me. I’m feeling such a mess of mixed feelings because its so fucking funny to watch it just wave about with each movement. Despite my extreme hatred for this fucker, despite all my nerves and instincts telling me to fight back with all that I have…This warmth is building up in my thighs and I’m reminded how I still haven’t cum yet. This sharp tickling sensation began against my scalp that I had to scratch to get rid of as Wicked began cackling.

_You nasty bitch! Can you **not** prove this maniac right for like…five seconds?! How the actual fuck are you horny right now?! Your blood is still on his balls!_

I once again resist the urge to retort when I’m suddenly surrounded in this blue and white sea of sheer and silk. I fight to get to the top, my arms initially getting sort of stuck at my sides but after a little wiggling and tugging from the outside, my head pops through the top and my arms are set free as well. Herman just threw the dress over my head and now I was standing there, the tightest part of the waist, stuck just under my breasts and the whole bodice half of it hanging forward. I could feel the ruffles underneath have ridden up and I shifted around a bit to push them into place, pinching the top of the dress when Herman’s fingers against my back made me jump and spin around to face him.

Unlike a moment ago, he didn’t lunge at me or yell, he just stood there; as if trying not to scare the frightened animal he saw me as. His face was neutral and he didn’t move, just looked down at my body with his eyes.

“The dress is off the shoulder; your bra will ruin the shape. If you won’t let me take it off then you do it,” he says and I instinctively wrap my arms around my shoulders again and he smirks at me, causing this excited jolt up my back.

_Fucking whore! Ha!_

I hear Wicked’s voice inside and I curse her stupid commentary! “I can always force you to do it, but I don’t think you want that.” He starts and I shake my head quickly, not wanting him to do…well, I don’t know how he would do that but I didn’t want to find out!

I dared to turn my back to him and when he says nothing I keep turning until he’s looking at my back and I reach back, unclipping the bralette and letting it slide off my arms. Once it hits the floor, his hands reach up from behind me and grasp both my exposed breasts; despite my kneejerk reaction to start prying them off at the wrists.

“You fucking pig!!” I start but as soon as I got loud, he sent this spark into my skin through his palms and I fell silent immediately.

The slight sizzling feeling the spark caused in my nipples made me let go of his hands and slap them over my mouth instead, to keep from making any noise. He chuckles darkly, pulling me against his chest and I feel his dick tap against my butt as it presses against me. He’s shamelessly kneading my breasts in his hands, his rough palms also causing this delicate sensation on my tender flesh.

I’ve covered my mouth to keep any noise from escaping, that was proven rather fruitless as he lets another small jolt zap through me. I felt like I’d jumped fifty feet in the air, but it was nothing more than a little hop with a tiny squeak.

“Someone like’s electro-play…” he says slowly, working my sensitive breasts in his hands and making me feel more conflicted about this. “I know I shouldn’t reward you for calling me names, but I’ll let it slide because you seem to really be enjoying this.”

I can’t help how right he is but I continue trying to remain silent, not wanting to give him any sort of satisfaction. He stops palming my breasts and starts toying with my nipples, more small sparks being deposited from his fingertips and making my breasts tingle in a way that makes my lower body ache with want.

As much as I hated to admit it…he was right; I’m as much a slave to my own desires as any Killer I’ve used my Perk on. How fucking pathetic am I? That budding little shred of my bravery is quickly wilting and withering away into dust as he continues toying with my chest.

That’s when it starts. This sort of…weightless feeling in my legs and arms; spreading up into me and every inch of my body. I knew this feeling well; I was starting to disassociate…detach myself from the situation in an attempt to protect myself. I both wanted to let it take me and wanted to fight it so I can stay in control, but that’s not how this worked. My brain had made its choice.

I was starting to fade away when the sound of shattering glass startled me and Herman’s hands stopped; his head snapping to look in the direction of the sound. I inhale sharply and my knees give out, as if I’d just dropped into my own body and gravity hit me like a freight train. I was saved from actually hitting the floor by Herman’s arms around my chest and pulling me up.

“Ah, ah! No dirt on this dress, damn it!” He says and once I get my legs back under control, I stand up. “Sorry, got a little swept up.” He says with a small pat on my shoulder then begins making adjustments to the dress.

Gently pinching the fabric and pulling into place until he was satisfied with how it looked on me. I didn’t feel the fabric slid into any of the curves uncomfortably at all, the silk along the inside felt cool against my skin. It was a welcome feeling after how sweaty I’ve been feeling in here, despite the chill that hung in the air and made my breath visible.

A few strands tug at the back of my neck as he gingerly pulls my hair out of the dress and lets it fall over my shoulder, the long (h/c) waves tangling as they tumble over my shoulder. I’m surprised my hair wasn’t a bigger mess at this point, considering all the hell I’ve been through. No point in worrying about it now, I’m just running around and fucking monsters here…my hair should be the least of my worries anyways.

My skin was still buzzing from all the unspent energy in my veins but I was still here, still present, still in control. I did feel this pop in the back of my scalp when a tap on my shoulder had me turn to see Herman holding two thin laces in his hands, seeming to come from my dress. Did I just call it _my_ dress?!

“Lift your hair, I need to tie this.” He says calmly and I wordlessly comply, bunching up my (h/c) hair into my hands and raising it up against the back of my head. I held it there as the bodice tightened around my ribs, the cold air against my back was covered and slowly grew warm. I somewhat felt like I was surrounded in this elegant ball gown and I shivered as I looked down at myself.

No daydream or fantasy was going to pull me from this reality; he wanted me to look like ‘a lady’ before he raped me again. A delicate, pretty flower…that he wanted to pick the petals off of slowly. I dropped my hair as that same twisted mix of emotions continued to coil within my chest.

_Sick fuck…I like his style…I just wish things were different…Sorry._

I bowed my head somberly when I’m startled by this flash against my eyes and I throw my hands up to protect myself. Herman’s laughter makes me peek over my arms and I see he’s brought over this rectangular mirror and has presented it to me.

I lower my arms and take a cautious step forward, looking over my reflection carefully. The dress was really pretty and the off the shoulder straps looked flirty and cute. My messy hair should have ruined the look or made it trashy but…I looked like the ‘outcast’ getting a make over and sees that she actually likes something about herself for the first time. Another little fantasy that is quickly dampened by the reality that was surrounding me. Herman walked away from me to put the mirror back from wherever he got it from, but my eyes stayed in the same place. I just stared at the floor as I hear the scrape of the glass and then his feet leaving the room, my hand slowly raising to the collar around my neck.

“Stay right there, Sally will be joining us shortly.” He says then leaves the room and I look down at the floor. The orange light from beneath me and the humid air blowing up into my dress made me close my legs tight out of discomfort.

I started looking all around the room, looking for anything loose or light or sharp that I could use as a weapon; pondering my next move. The leash was still tied to the hook and I couldn’t untie it quickly without him seeing that I’ve tried. If he sees I’m trying to escape…I fear what he might do to me then. There’s nothing sharp around here for me to cut it with and this stupid dress makes me feel heavy and off balance when I stand. I’m starting to think he wanted to limit my ability to move so he could further make me feel like a trapped rat.

_You’re losing your cool…_

“You think?! He’s going to try and get me pregnant to try and create another you! If it doesn’t work the first time, you actually think he’s just going to let me go?! I’m going to be stuck here and he’ll try until he gets what he wants or I give up! I’m not his fucking breeder horse and I will _not_ sit still again as another unwanted cock is shoved so far up my ass that I can **_taste_** it!!” I yell and I’m met with absolute silence; my voice fading into the walls.

_Well shit…why didn’t you just say so? Of course, right, yeah, that’s easy to fix. Let’s just relax and pretend that YOU HAVE A FUCKING CHOICE! You can either act like a good slut and get this over with and just OD on some birth control when you escape **OR** you can be a little punk and get the shit beaten out of you for trying to escape…then all our efforts up to this point will mean nothing!! All the people who’ve died already will have died for absolutely **nothing**!_

“We may not even escape this place! What if we just die?!” I asked and I’m startled by the sound of someone getting slapped out in the hall and my eyes go to the door; waiting. What was that?

There was this paralyzing silence that filled the air, as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. I actually jumped when Sally’s body flew through the door and she landed hard on the floor in front of me, a massive red mark on her face and blood at the corner of her mouth; unresponsive.

“Oh my God!” I knelt down at her side, I looked up at the sound of some feet vibrating through the floor and Herman was standing there; this sick smile on his face as he looks at me. Something is horribly wrong…did he find out that Sally _isn’t_ his useless doll?

I look past him and this violent chill shoots up my spine, all the heat left my skin as absolute hopelessness set in. Susie was standing in the hall but her mask and weapon were gone and her eyes were down, cheeks shiny with tears. She slowly walks forward and I realize that Danny is behind her with one hand behind her back and his other up and waving cheekily at me. His mask wasn’t on, his brown, curly hair was peeking out of his black hood and that innocent face just made me angry.

“Son of a bitch…” I mutter and I realize…my only escape plan has been snuffed out in the span of a second.

“Daniel found this little rat in my halls,” Herman says and pats Susie on the head like a misbehaved child and she doesn’t move. She looks absolutely horrified and isn’t looking up, she’s got her eyes down to the floor, wide and unmoving. Danny looked less than amused as he cast this annoyed look at Herman.

“It’s Danny…not Daniel, Danny. Or should I take to calling you Harry?” he sneers and Herman just rolls his eyes at him. “Hey there, (f/n) …miss me cutie?” he asks and I glare at him, trying to will some part of his body to explode from within.

“Damn, if looks could kill.” He says, almost sounding like it excited him. “I’m not here to ruin your party, just to provide some help.” He pauses. “Not to you, of course. I got bored watching fat-ass do his thing so I decided to go walking.”

He says then presents his camera and I feel this sick stab in my belly. Oh, dear God…no. “I took some _great_ pictures though…wanna see?” he offers with a glint in his eye, that annoyingly handsome face making me even angrier!

I don’t move and he just sighs and puts his camera away. “Fine…that’s only going to make this harder for you.” He says when he suddenly swings his knife at Susie’s back and her face twists with pain, her feet raising up off the floor as he lifts her up.

“NO!!!” I screamed as he suddenly rips the knife out of her and splatters blood on me and Sally, Herman turning suddenly towards Danny.

“You messy fuck! You just got blood on her dress!” he sounded genuinely mad about it and Danny shook his head.

“You never said to keep it clean, that’s your fault. I’ll just take my prize and be on my way now. Goodbye!” he says and grabs Susie’s ankle, dragging her away even as she gasps for air on the floor. He seemed almost excited as her head bumped into things as he went.

I panic and turn to get up and run but he grabs a fist full of my hair and tugs me back, my heels dragging on the metal floor, scraping my skin just barely avoiding cutting into me. He pushed my face down into the metal grating in the center of the room, the diamond shaped holes digging into my cheek and forehead.

I let out this scream as I tried to fend him off but then Sally began to stir and I reached out for her frantically, scraping my skin against the grating. I could feel this burning against my flesh as I must have drawn blood as I helplessly reached out towards her. With Herman’s weight on me, I couldn’t move any closer but my arm still flailed in front of me, trying but going nowhere. Herman laughed as he pressed his hips against my rear, I could feel that his cock was still out even through all the tulle in the skirt.

As soon as she began to raise her head and flutter her eyes, Herman grabbed my bangs and pulled me back, arching my back roughly as he forced me to look at her. I pried at his hand in my hair as he then used his other hand to grab under my chin and pull me forward even more. It felt like he was trying to rip my head off at this rate, but he wouldn’t dare…that would just ruin his experiment, his game.

“Aw, someone’s finally waking up. Someone who’s actually dumb enough to think that I wasn’t going to find out that one of the gifts you received was that ability to completely maintain your sanity. Tell me, what’s it like to know all the horrible things you’ve done were done by a rational mind?”

“Sally!!” I sobbed out and she crawled over to me, looking frantic and helpless.

It was ghastly, she wasn’t floating or anything like I’d come to expect from her since arriving here. Her angelic face was streaked with tears and that violent red handprint was making little blood spots appear under her flesh where the blood vessels had broken from the impact. Her left eye was bloody red and it made my heart ache as I looked at her. She reached out and held my face, keeping my focus on her as Herman released my head and started lifting up the dress to begin the next part of his ‘experiment’.

“It’s Ok, it’ll be over soon!” she says quietly and I push my face forward and she allows me to hide against her chest, Herman raising the last layer that reveals my body and that cold air hits my skin. “Sweetie…look at me, come on. You’ve gotta look at me right now.” She insists and despite my body screaming to just let my head hang limp…I raise it up and look at her. “Kiss me…come on, use it.” She whispers and I feel this little shudder in my head as Wicked seems to come back again.

_DON’T…if you use it now…I won’t have anything left. I’ll be gone and we won’t get to the Killer Forest together. She…_

This trembling idea comes to my mind and everything happens all at once as Wicked’s tone seems to…steady.

_She has a plan… **You’ve** gotta survive this freak and get to the others, then get to The Entity; that big tree in the center of the Killer Forest. Burn it down. Even if you all end tonight…you’ll take it with you. I know you better than anyone, you don’t want that thing to survive the night…even if it means you won’t either._

I clench my teeth as I feel all the facts spilling into my brain at once, as if Wicked was dumping everything she had that she hadn’t shared with me in my head. It was this overwhelming sensation of knowing…everything that was going to happen now.

Tears filled my eyes and spilled over as I used the little strength I had left to lean towards Sally and kiss her, setting my Perk into action and in that same instance…Wicked’s sensational presence inside my head fades away.

 _Goodbye…Wick_.

My whole body becomes sensitive and the pain in my knees numbs out as her voice whispers in my brain for what I knew to be the last time.

_Take One For The Team_

Sally’s tongue pushes into my mouth, suddenly being ravenous with desire but my focus on her is broken as this stench fills the room…this hauntingly familiar stench. I break the kiss and look down into the deepest recesses of this building, confirming my suspicions.

The Pustula’s under the floor, that were all intertwined with the pipes were starting to blossom and steadily grew closer and closer. I could feel the rumbling deep in the ground and it clicked too late what Sally had just done. The flowers were seeking the moonlight…when she’d floated out of my sight earlier…she was uncovering the window above us in the ceiling.

“What have you done?” I asked and she shook her head and pulled me harshly as Herman lets out this choked yell.

Sally rolled onto her back, pulling me over her as well. She pushed her leg against my chest and threw me over her and almost out of the room! I rolled through the landing and looked back quickly, seeing that Susie had appeared and was going absolutely mad on Herman’s back. Using what was clearly Danny’s knife, she was ripping into his flesh, splattering blood on her face and the monitors when the whole floor suddenly dropped and tilted.

“Holy fuck!” I screamed as I started sliding towards the lower end of the room and I dig my fingers into the floor; trying to keep from going. I manage to catch a slab of metal sticking up and the room continues to tilt, as if the floor is being eaten up from below.

That thought is quickly proven right as I hear cracks and look over and see stems and other buds weaving their way up through the floor and climbing up the walls towards the ceiling.

Just then, Susie pushed off of Herman and up into the air, catching the ledge of that doorway on the second level and immediately turning back and yelling.

“DANNY GET HER!” she screamed and I’m startled by the man in question, lifting me up over his shoulder like I was nothing and racing towards the door.

“What the actual hell!?” I screamed and started kicking when this sound of lightning crashing caused Danny’s misleadingly cute face to twist with pain and he fell to his knees, dropping me.

My ribcage bounced on the floor and short bursts of electricity began filling my body, damn him! Herman was making sure we couldn’t escape by dumping volts into the floor. The power was that much worse as the floor was made of metal; I could smell burning flesh as my feet were practically being melted into the floor.

Just then, this loud gurgling shriek somehow broke through the din and the shock stopped. I looked up and the source of the scream was Herman, Sally had ripped her sawblade through his throat and as his blood sprayed up almost like a geyser. Her white skin was sprayed with the blood as he clung to her, seeming to charge himself up as he reached for her head. She looked up at us and yelled, “Get them out of here…”

The floor burst upwards and Sally and Herman’s bodies were grabbed up by all the Pustula’s blooming upward in rapid succession. It was like a reverse waterfall from the earth that was all fleshy, rancid smelling plants and that offensive orange nectar splattering some of the walls. A few of the flowers struggled against the monitors as they tried to go up but those machines were quickly overrun; the images of pain and horror finally silenced. The screens shattered, sending glass sparkling down into the floor, the metal screeched as the stems and roots pushed and bent the mechanism into literal garbage before shoving past it and growing upwards. The ceiling had been a blacked-out skylight built from glass and sheet metal; it was broken through easily as the flowers ripped through it. Once out in the blistering wind, the buds opened their blackened covers and revealed their glowing orange petals beneath.

The whole building started to shake when I spotted more Pustula buds pushing their way up through the tiles in the hall and pointed at them, drawing Danny’s attention. The flowers were filling the floor under the entire building!!

“Oh shit!” I said when Danny started down the hall and I tried to follow but I fell on my face and the skin on the bottom of my feet ripped. “AHHHH!!” I screeched and Danny’s boots made this squeaky sound as he skids to a halt.

He looked back and ran over to me, kneeling at my side and seeing how my feet had basically been burned into the metal floor from Herman’s shock. He grimaced as the blood was already pouring from my left foot. “A bastard to the bitter end, why am I not surprised?” he says and pulls out this small knife from his ankle.

Without even a moments hesitation, he sliced as the flesh on my feet, freeing me in the most agonizing act of kindness I’ve ever experienced. He slid the knife into his boot again and hoisted me up onto his shoulders. With me now somewhat draped over the back of his neck, he sprints for the exit when the hall he’s running towards collapses before him and the flowers overtake the rubble.

“FUCKING SHIT!” he swears when he spots the window and lifts me up to it. “Go!” he orders and I gasp.

“Come the fuck on!” I grabbed him by the shoulder to make him follow just as the floor behind him gives out and he sinks away from me suddenly. “DANNY!” I cried out, hooking my leg harshly against the wall outside the window.

My bloody heel dug into the bricks as I used that little bit of leverage to keep my grip on his cloak.

“Son of a bitch!!” he shouts, seeming surprised for the first time in his life.

I kept pulling when I felt the seam starting to tear and I shoved my hand down the front of his cloak, surprising him further when I snatched what I knew he was wearing under it. A thick and well-kept harness and I smirked into his face, knowing damn well that he was a monster…but a well-prepared monster.

“Heh,” he snickers and I use all my weight to pull him up and towards me, managing to pull him against my chest. His arms closed around my shoulders and my balance left me as my head grew foggy, my body had given up…dropping us off the ledge and everything went black before we hit the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so see.. what had happeend was, my twitch chat is full of kinked out crack heads and we couldn't come up with a legitimate title so we went through stuff like Danny's Sledgehammer and a whole lot of there things regarding a combo of Danny and Sledgehammer even though it doesn't really have anything to do with the actual chapter itself, but to appease them here have a title or something - RilussDro from my stream :3  
> It's too good not to use, join my discord :3  
> https://discord.gg/DK7KdAE


	12. Sealing the Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the fall of Lery's, (f/n) and Danny strike up conversation. His alliance is not cemented however...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

Raw, hot and stinging pain puddled around my feet, this thickness making my toes stick together. My eyes felt heavy and chalky, as if I’d merely taken a tumble down a dusty hill and not just dodged a collapsing building. My bones had been replaced with cement blocks and I couldn’t so much as lift my arm to wipe my face.

This slight groan scratched its way from my throat, making me clear my throat instinctively. The black clouds swarming behind my eyes began to fade into that dull brown, despite orange blurs dancing beyond my lids.

The air was still cold, clinging to the admittedly pretty dress that Herman insisted I wear before he violated me and Sally. Despite those plush layers, I felt cold all over and it was quite confusing since I could feel that I was sweating buckets.

My hips felt numb, this dull tingle between my legs made me shift and pull my legs up; trying to curl into a ball. The heels of my feet scraped along the ground and my eyes flew open as pain absolutely raged from the bottoms of my feet up into my ankles. I hissed between my teeth and sat up suddenly, causing a wave of dizziness to crash over my head.

This restriction around my left ankle made me look down and despite the fuzz that still rimmed my vision, I could clearly see Danny’s masked face holding that ankle with one ungloved hand.

“FUCKER!!” I screamed and punched the center of his mask as hard as I could, causing this guttural choked grunt behind my fist. He fell back and quickly pulled his mask off, grasping at his nose and coughing.

“What the actual fuck!!?” His voice came out strained. “I helped you out, why are you hitting me?!” He yelled, turning to look at me.

His deceptively kind looking face made all the memories flood back like a bullet to my skull. Everything that happened leading up to Sally appearing and stealing me away from the others. The atrocities that Herman had intended to inflict upon me, use me for and the incredible sacrifice that Sally had made to ensure that I was spared of it.

Wanting to take advantage of the lacking presence of The Entity, Herman wanted to personally manifest another event like the one where Wicked was created. What he didn’t know, was that wouldn’t happen no matter what he did. I even let him dress me up to appease his ridiculous power play fantasy.

Susie had even showed up to save the day but then Danny found her and Herman found out that Sally was faking being his dutiful toy. I honestly thought that everything had fallen apart and that, unlike before; there was no fighting my way out, but Sally turned the tides in our favor. She made me trigger Take One For The Team so that she would have a burst of energy…enough to successfully overpower Herman and ensure that Susie and I got out of there alive. Because of her sacrifice…Herman is dead…but so is she.

My heart ached as I thought about the information, I’d gleaned from her, the painful tragedy of her parents and husband passing within mere days of each other. A girl with delicate dreams and rose-tinted eyes for the world, being broken from that view in a long and unending nightmare…was like a dull, rusty spoon to my heart.

Danny looked down at his palms and scrunched up his face a few times, the tip of his nose bright pink from where I hit him. I’m amazed that his nose wasn’t bleeding considering how hard I’d hit him, either his face is made of rocks or I’m weaker than I thought.

When he showed up, he had a knife to Susie’s back and even stabbed her in the back. Considering his behavior before, I figured he was just going to add to the horror show we had been forced into. I even got stuck when Herman’s last-ditch effort to stop us from escaping and he came back for me.

I actually let out a sigh of relief but I immediately retracted myself and stayed on guard; that handsome face is deceptive and dangerous. He looked up at me and his eyes were big, round and blue; this almost ethereal blue that really stood out with his dark chocolatey brown curls. There were even a few tresses that were slightly longer than the rest, creating tight ringlets.

How does someone as twisted as this have such a clean and almost wimpy appearance. I could tell that under his cloak and leather that he wasn’t by any means lanky, he was similar to Frank in that way. A lithe body that hid a dangerous amount of power and tact.

“You…why-” I swallowed hard and glared at him. “Why did you help us?”

“Yeah, sure…don’t apologize for hitting me; just start interrogating the guy that saved your ass.” He says, looking more annoyed than anything else.

“Don’t even with that bullshit, I saved you too so I suggest you answer me before I swing again!” I threatened and this smug smile crossed his face.

“Oh no, not another nose punch!” he says in a mocking tone then gets to his feet. “I’ll have to hurry so that you don’t catch me!” he then turns and starts walking exaggeratedly slow and I just glare at his back.

He’s not an idiot by any means…he knows I can’t walk right now because of what he had to do to my feet. “Keep in mind, this is partially your fault.” I grumble between my teeth.

He stops suddenly and turns back to me, that same smug ass grin on his face. “I know, that’s what makes it a little funnier for me.”

“God, you are such a prick. Why did you help us? You’ve got absolutely nothing to gain by helping us escape that place or to come back for me.” I asked again, trying to keep my jaw from trembling at the burning in my soles.

“Um, have you considered the possibility that I’m not nearly as bad a guy as you seem to think I am?” He says and I just glared at him.

“Do you _honestly_ expect me to believe that?” I asked and he tilted his head; seeming to genuinely mull that over in his head.

“I feel like someone has said that to me before…funky…” he shakes his head and scoffs. “Meh, you’re not interested in my sappy back story; trust me. She’s a bitch in the best way.” He says with a twisted fondness in his eyes, I couldn’t deny my curiosity. I wonder who he was thinking about?

“Are you gonna answer me or not?” I snapped and he snorted at me.

“Sure, but only because you’re making me feel really nostalgic right now. I want out of here; I’ve got someone to find.” He says easily and I tilt my head.

“What? You got some creepy stalker crush on someone still out there?” I asked and he shook his head, seeming strangely laid back.

“Look at it like this, a panther in a zoo doesn’t get that excited adrenaline rush when it gets fed. They get that adrenaline when they fight for their food, hunt it down, stalk it and then go in for the kill. I’m no longer content having my meals ordered for me and I’m just expected to eat, be merry and in the end, serve them to someone else. I guess you could say I…like to play with my food.” He says, that same sinister glimmer coming into his eyes and I felt a chill slither up my spine but I steeled myself.

“Stop talking like a damn psycho, why are you helping us?!” I asked, my voice carrying a little further into the trees and he squinted at me.

“Fuck me, if I could explain it better; I’d actually put my teaching license to use and I swore the day I got it that I never would. I’m not breaking my vow for you, no matter how many memories you bring up.” He snaps and reaches into his pocket, pulling out his glove and pulling it back on. I watch as he blankly starts strapping the leather into place.

“Fine, then at least tell me where Anna and Amanda are.” I said, remembering how they’d all but been served to him and Jefferey.

“They’re fine, they’re hiding out at Anna’s place. I didn’t let Jefe hurt them, I did let Amanda go feral and once he was down, Anna started wailing on him too. It was kinda insane, I almost feel bad for the cretin…I might have _actually_ felt bad if he wasn’t a blatant piece of human shit! I got some _incredible_ pictures though, you wanna see?” he asks and excitedly pulls his camera out of his cloak.

Despite my suspicions of him, my curiosity was piqued and I guess it was written all over my face, because he came over and sat down beside me. He crossed his legs, me hearing a farting sound and his pale cheeks lit up pink. “Oh, sorry…that was my shoes, I swear.”

I snorted before I could stop myself and leaned over a little to look at his camera as he started scrolling.

I didn’t expect his pictures to tell a story the way that they did. His pictures started in the walk towards their designated location, various shots of Pustula’s, selfie’s and this one shot of him taking a selfie with Amanda in the background but she flipped him off as well and it made me giggle when he suddenly pulled back.

“Oh, that bitch ruined my shot.” He starts tapping buttons but my hand shoots out before I know what I’m doing, stopping his hand and making him look over at me, surprised.

“Don’t delete it, that’s cute…considering you’re on our side. If we don’t actually die tonight, I really want to keep that.” I say and this little sparkle in his eye makes me pull my hand back and he smiles.

Seeing an actually genuine smile on his face was eerily fitting on his face…which only put me off even more since I knew for a fact that he was a monster. “Alright, I’ll keep it for you…but you owe me.”

“Ick…owe you what?” I asked and he laughed.

“Relax, it’s a picture. I’ll just collect for it later, hang on there’s more.” He keeps scrolling.

Now it’s a multitude of shots of Amanda and Anna absolutely mauling Jefferey, his blood spraying up into the air and even sparkling in some shots. The last picture made me snort and cover my mouth because it was literally a picture of Anna wrenching her axe out of Jefferey’s face, her foot on his shoulder. Amanda on her way over to try and help her and Danny taking a basic bitch selfie, peace sign and all.

“I have fun here, but there’s nothing better than the buildup.” He says, almost seeming to think of a fonder time for him.

Lazily shaking my head, I offer my hand to him and he looks at it like I’m offering him a snack. “So, does this mean I’m safe to assume you’re on our side? You’re not going to turn on us at the last second and ruin everything we’ve been shooting for, right?”

He snatches my hand and shakes it firmly, making my elbow pop.

“Of course, why the hell would I give up the chance to be let loose on the world again? I might enjoy it a little too-OUCH!” He snatched at his shoulder with a genuinely shocked expression in his blue eyes. “Did you just fucking pinch me?!”

“Yes, I’m not trying to get us out of here so that you can go around terrorizing more innocent people!” I snapped, glaring at him as the gears in my head continued to turn.

“What? Were you expecting me to turn over a new leaf and become an asset to society if I go home? If I go home, they’ll shoot me in front of the fucking city. I’d rather stay here and keep feeding the ultimate evil.” He says and roughly pushes his camera back into his pocket.

“You were brought here _because_ you are a fucking maniac, you don’t think that a second chance should be taken seriously? You don’t have to kill people, you can just-”

He interrupts me by blowing a raspberry into the air and jumping to his feet. “You have got to be the most hopelessly optimistic bitch I’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering. You come to a place full of absolute bastards who get off on drawing the blood of the innocent, we’re all immortal and you actually think that you can ‘fix’ us and make us ‘normal’ again?” he scoffs at me and I remain on the ground, watching him pace around me like a jungle cat.

“Oh, fuck off,” I snapped and turned my head away. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Really?” he says then steps in front of me and squats down to my level, prompting me to turn back to him. With him being so close to my face, I was able to catch a whiff of him and surprisingly…he didn’t smell like blood or leather or musk, like I expected. It was a sort of sharp smell that caused me to instinctively sniff again. It smells clean and slightly vintage, like an old book smell. “Alright, let me ask you something then. Wicked is still in there, what are you going to do about her dirty little desires if we do get out of here?”

I turned my head away sharply, causing my hair to fall and hopefully hide my upset from him. He had no way of knowing but I could feel in my gut that she was already gone. That final moment when Sally forced me to use Take One For The Team was all she had left in her and not only did it allow Sally to save me, it ensured that we wouldn’t have to worry about Herman again.

The plan was to let her go absolutely crazy once we found The Entity, she would kill it and we could get the hell out of here or die…but now I’m not sure what we’re going to do. I bit into my lower lip and closed my eyes to try and keep any tears from spilling out.

Warm, leather fingers lightly grabbed my chin and turned my head forward. I felt Danny’s warm breath on my face, but I refused to open my eyes and face him.

“What’s with that face?” he asks, sounding confused. “Oh what? Am I not worth your time?” He sneers but I shake my head to get his hands off.

“Yes, no, just…” I stammer, but stop almost right away and curled my knees up against my chest. I didn’t even register the feeling of my wounded feet scraping across the dirt. The raw skin on the bottom of my feet picked up the dirt, sticking to the moist underlayer and creating a small coating that dulled out the pain…but not by much.

“She’s gone, there is no Wicked anymore. It’s just me now.” I say, still very aware of that horribly empty space inside the back of my skull. As awful as she was, things were actually starting to seem like there might be a happy ending to this somehow. I drop my forehead against my knees and let out a loud, somewhat squeaky sigh as my tears start squeezing through my pinched lids.

“What? How is she gone, I thought you two were like this…this…” he struggles then intertwines his fingers together. “Unit, that’s the word.” His blue eyes are big and he looks surprised, which makes this bitter chuckle escape me.

I raise my head, revealing to him the wet trails on my cheeks and he deflates, his arms falling and his eyes getting bigger. “I want to believe that you’re actually concerned for me, but I just can’t.” Pressing my forehead against my knees again I hear this sort of plop in front of me, but I don’t raise my head.

“Yes, I did sort of have this idea in my head that we could all get out of here and even Killers like you could have another chance. I don’t know why I started gravitating towards that idea, I wasn’t like this before coming here. I worked in a fucking diner, I bussed tables and live in absolute fear of the shit show _I’d_ started by dating a drunk bastard.” I fought through the sob and just let everything I’d been holding onto all this time, flow out with my tears; falling off my cheeks in heavy drops. “In a pathetic, twisted sort of way…I saw this place as my second chance. Back home, I was nothing more than a traumatized magnet for tragedy, my parents were murdered, my first and only boyfriend was an abusive drunk and I sucked all the energy out of the world because that’s all I was good at.”

“Hey, take it easy there (f/n).” Danny says but I ignore him, this ball in my throat is choking me as my words become backed up by a sob I’m trying to hold back.

I can’t…I can’t do it anymore…someone needs to hear me…for just a moment.

“I’m not a ball of sunshine, I’m not even a person at this point. I don’t know who I am or what I’m really like, the best and worst things about me are that I can put on a good show to make the people around me think that I’m fine. Then Jack attacked me and made everything even worse, my brain is this hard-boiled egg and no matter how hard I try to keep it in the shell, someone is always trying to fucking smash it!” I screamed, slamming my hand down onto the hard dirt and making the bones in my arm buzz.

“Well if you’re so out of sorts by it, why did you do it?” Danny asks, his tone accusatory.

“I don’t know, I got here and Dwight showed me what to do…a total stranger reached out to me to help. He didn’t want anything from me, then I met everyone else and they all accepted me so quickly…I didn’t want to steal that little sliver of light they had. The thing I was so good at doing back home, something I never meant to do…was steal that light from people’s eyes.” The sobs slowed and my chest ached, I wanted to force more tears out because the pain behind my eyes wouldn’t hit me if I kept crying. I allowed myself to stop, to come down from my agony.

I started feeling sleepy and sore, my eyes beginning to sting and my lashes still heavy with my tears. The cold air made the wetness on my cheeks sting a little so I wiped them away with the back of my hand.

“You’re gonna have to explain this whole ‘light’ thing, because the only light I’ve seen in people’s eyes is their life just as I snuff it out.” Danny says, without a hint of regret or discomfort…or joy in his voice. His matter of fact tone was off-putting but I didn’t respond to that.

“When you look at people, they’re smiling and talking and laughing. There’s this sort of…vibrance to their eyes, a light. I can never see it in my own eyes, no matter how hard I look but I see it in other people. That light disappears as soon as I enter a room, people get to know me and realize I’m damaged and dirty…the light goes away. It only comes back when I’m gone.” I sighed and curled up a little tighter.

I was waiting for Danny to laugh or scoff or demean me or mock me; he scoffed.

“Gag me with a spoon (f/n), have you never actually looked at the people around you here?” he asks and my head pops up in surprise.

“What?” My voice is strained and quiet.

“Listen up, during the Trials…we have the option to look over the Realm during the game but we can’t get involved. As soon as you showed up, Dwight lit up like a damn bonfire. His face lifted and he smiled, as soon no one was watching…he’d smile. I haven’t seen him smile at anyone…except Jake every once and a while, but not enough to support my gay theory.” He muses then his blue eyes dart to me and he clears his throat. “Anyways, how do you think I got any of the information that I did? I pay very close attention to everything and every detail, so you’re preaching to the choir about expressions and reading people like you do. People smile around you; they get excited, they exude this giddy foolishness that I relished in tracking before all this. You are (f/n), you give that light…you’re not The Entity…that thing steals it and destroys it.”

I find myself just staring at him, holding his icy blue stare as his words sink into me. He was trying to cheer me up, give me hope…keep me going. He really does want to get out of here too, it isn’t just a ploy.

“So, now that I’ve seemingly made you stop crying…what happened to her? Wicked, that is.” He says and I shake my head.

“It’s a longer story than that Danny…I’m not going to bore you with all the details, she’s gone though.” I glare and he lets out a sigh and then sits down beside me, mimicking my same sitting position. Knees up against his chest and as he crosses his ankles, his boots fart again and I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my lips.

“It’s the boots damn it and I’ve got nowhere to be anyways so…spill it.” He says, nudging me slightly and while my smile shrinks a bit, it remains despite the grim telling I give him about Wicked.

I delve into how Wicked wasn’t actually her own separate being, how she was a dark fragment of my soul that was taken by The Entity the day I killed my kidnapper, Gerald Fitzpatrick. She had been deposited into the body of Michelle at the very moment that The Director raped her.

Essentially, Wicked was dumped into a living incubator with all the things she needed to create a new body for herself. She used the cells and DNA in Michelle’s body to create that body and then used her powers-given by The Entity-to rapidly grow it into a woman. This act, killed Michelle by ripping her apart from the inside out and right after that…Wicked killed The Director.

Learning the truth of all this wasn’t so simple either, her returning to my body had become a tug of war between who would control it permanently…which I ultimately won out of sheer will and stubbornness. That being said, she was still her own being within me, we just shared a head space.

From there, Wicked would slowly grow weaker as she became part of me again, her sentience slowly fading away. While her personality was toxic and undesirable in every sense of the word, she’d started to grow on me and she even tried to help me too when things started getting difficult.

It was up until those last few moments when I said goodbye to her that I really felt like something I’d gained back had been stolen from me…it was unlike any hell I’d ever expected and it was…isolating. She’s still here, with me, part of me…but there’s no going back and without her ferocity and willingness to do anything, I don’t know what we’ll do once we get to the center of the Killer Forest.

Once I’m done explaining…Danny kinda just looks blankly at me and nods, as if he understands. “Wow…that’s rough.” He says when he suddenly raises his camera and snaps a picture of me.

The white flash making the world spin and by reflex, I jump to my feet. My feet are still raw and useless so that pain immediately makes my knees buckle and I fall onto my butt, making this sound like a startled chicken.

“What the actual fuck are you doing?!!” I yelped and swung at him, aiming for his shoulder but hitting his chest as he tried to back away. He twisted on his rear on the dirt because I’d fallen onto one of his straps so he couldn’t exactly get far until I moved.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!! I haven’t seen genuine despair for years!! I only see what’s built out of circumstances that I manufacture or control. There’s something special about seeing that raw emotion and sorrow on someone’s face…and that hurt you know?” he says, lightly rubbing his chest where I’d hit him.

“Suck it up,” I say and turn to lean on my right hand. “Now you know, you’re the only one I’ve told all of that to…I haven’t even told Dwight and Frank that much yet.” _Not that I’ve really had the chance to considering the absolute shit show this night has been_. I thought when I felt an arm around my shoulder.

I looked up and saw him calmly seated beside me again, his arm around me and staring straight ahead. From this angle I could clearly see how sharp his nose and jawline were, he had that same sort of deceptively attractive appearance that Frank had. Frank however, was the bad boy that everyone wanted in high school, Danny on the other hand looked much more innocent and harmless. You’d never suspect this guy was a psychopathic killer who got off on teasing the media while also working for the media himself.

I couldn’t help but think he probably got a little chuckle at the end of every day, thinking of how fooled he had everyone around him.

We were just sitting there, not talking or moving for an awkwardly long time when he finally turned to me, he did this sort of double take.

“What? This is what people do to make others feel better, right?” he pulls me a little closer until my head is against his shoulder. “No one gets this close to me unless I plan on killing them so, bask in this. It’s never going to happen again.”

“I hope you’ll understand that I’m _extremely_ suspect of you,” I start and he lightly pats my shoulder, seeming to scoot a little bit closer to me.

“I’d be annoyed if you weren’t, I know what I am.” His tone is completely nonchalant.

Knowing full well that he’s extremely dangerous, I threw that caution aside and laid my head to rest on his shoulder. He seemed to almost try and move away, I think he must have just been looking down at me because he sighed and laid his head down on mine.

Thinking forward, without Wicked we never would have made it as far as we did. Odds are, we might not have even considered trying to kill The Entity. Without moving my head, I turned my palm up and felt my (h/c) locks slither up onto my hand like a snake. She gave me so much power, carried me beyond where I thought I could go and despite everything that she put us through…she pulled me up when I started falling to my own exhaustion and fear.

The weight of this place and the fear that had started to infect me like a bacterium, all of the horrible things I’ve seen and done. It weighed on my mind like a monster and I was starting to lose my drive, my resolve to survive this place. It wasn’t her style and honestly, she wasn’t the best at pep talks, but she still tried and that meant a lot to me.

Danny shoving me away with the same hand that he’d had around me was a little jarring. I had to put my hands out to keep myself from falling over. “Alright, snuggle time is over. You can get away from me now,” he says, fake wiping off his shoulder as if I had cooties.

“Has anyone ever told you how shitty your bedside manner is?” I asked and as he stands up, he spins on his heel to face me.

He raises his finger as if to tell me off like a parent from an 80’s commercial…but he freezes. “Once,” he says and crosses his arms. “Long ass time ago, a girl I knew did. You actually remind me of her a little bit, although she infuriated me more than anyone else…can’t say I blame her though. Damn, did she hate me or what?” he looks up into the smokey, orange sky as he seemed to reminisce about it. “You have no right making me all nostalgic.”

“What do you mean? Why did she hate you?” I asked and this sober, dull look glossed over his vibrant blue eyes as he turned back to look at me.

“Because I killed her sister and her sisters’ husband. You know, the normal things people do to make someone hate them.” He says as if that were a casual thing and less of _I murdered someone_.

“You are…a different breed, Danny.” I say, not quite certain of if I meant humanity or otherwise but it made him smile down at me.

“Thank you,”

I raised up one of my feet and surveyed how bad the damage actually was, the arch of my foot was completely carved out, leaving this ugly divot in my skin. My scooting around had covered the raw, sticky wounds in a sort of makeshift bandage so placing my foot down didn’t hurt enough for me not to walk. I got to my feet and while there was still pain, it was manageable.

“Great, now that we’re better acquainted, we should head back to Jane’s house.” I started forward when I felt something sharp in my shoulder and someone’s elbow dug into my back, knocking me forward onto my knees. The elbow in my back pushed me down onto my belly and they kneeled over my hips.

It happened so quickly, I still wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react as the blade left my shoulder. I must have been in shock because I didn’t move until I felt a heavy hand press against the back of my head. I felt the leather tug at my hair as the fingers grabbed a fistful of my (h/c) disaster of hair and pushed my face down into the dirt; my teeth grinding together.

“You know, you never struck me as the cocky type, despite how often you happen to be taking one.” He says in a delighted tone, close enough to my head that I felt his warm breath against my neck.

“How long have you been sitting on that one?” I hissed through my teeth, trying not to inhale any dirt.

“Meh, give or take a week.” He punctuates his response by tapping the back of my head with his knife, I can feel a few strands stick to my fresh blood on it.

“What the hell are you talking about? What are you doing?!” I asked, still trying to keep my breathing slow and controlled.

“I don’t like it when people get to know me, it sets off a few of my hot buttons…that’s when I kill people. You know a little too much so…I hope you’ll excuse me if I’m…” he takes a long breath. “…having trouble resisting the urge to fucking tear you open and play with your insides.” His voice is low and sinister, sending this horrid sinking feeling through my gut.

“I didn’t fucking do anything!!” I shouted, causing this cloud of dust to kick up in front of my face as I exhaled. “You’re the one who started talking about some chick you knew before!! It’s not my fault you’ve got a big mouth!” I yelled and I felt him go a little rigid on me.

“True…but like I said, I don’t like when people get to know me. So the fact that you started getting so casual as if you truly did…pisses me off!” He stabbed into my shoulder again, widening the same wound and the impact alone shook my whole body.

I grunted harshly, the sound I made burning my throat as I tried not to scream. My anger was unrivaled as I couldn’t believe I’d been saved by this bipolar, knife happy psycho!!

“What was the point in helping us if you were just going to do this shit to me anyways?!” I asked, another puff of dust rising and falling in front of my face.

I felt him shake as he started laughing and the knife was slowly, agonizingly pulled from my shoulder. His laughter wasn’t maniacal but it was this frightening chuckle, the kind you hear from villains in the movies when they get the upper hand on the hero.

“Consider it all in good fun for me, (f/n).” he says, I can hear this rustle of fabric behind me and I remain as still as I possibly can. The next thing I felt were his fingers brushing my hair away from my face and sort of neatly gathering it behind my head. He pulled the (h/c) mess away from my neck and bunched it all up into his fist before tugging on it to raise my head off the ground.

This position was extremely uncomfortable, my back started to ache and my neck was burning as I felt his warm cheek press against my head as he continued to speak to me.

“You listen to me and you listen good, you little bitch. There is only one woman I’ve ever met who got to know me and lives to tell the tale…I’m not about to let two bitches run around with that kind of information. You don’t know _a damn_ thing about me, I play games with people because its so easy to do. People look at me, think that I’m harmless, this baby faced loser with nothing to his name or life. I’m nice, gain their trust, make them comfortable…that’s when the games really begin. You haven’t felt true euphoria until you’ve held someone’s beating heart in your hands…and crushed it into jelly over their face and made their terrified partner eat it before gutting them too. It’s an other worldly sensation, so…don’t act like you know me well…because then I’ll play you like my favorite game too.” He warns and this chill went up my spine.

The fact that he easily stomachs such hell…is chilling. That’s when I noticed it though, I felt his skin was fiery against my head, bare skin with nothing keeping us apart.

I concentrated hard on that feeling, even if Wicked wasn’t with me anymore…she gave me power and I needed to use it. I focused on the sensation of his fingertips grazing my neck, touching my hair and tugging a few strands harder than others. That painful sensation pricking like little needles against my scalp as he held me like a scruffed cat.

I focused harder on that pinching in my hair and that’s when it started to form in front of my eyes, years of memory conjured up from the forefront of his mind. As the images deposited in my head, I let out this high pitched gasp as I saw exactly the scene he’d described to me.

Black, leather bound hands holding a still beating human heart in his hands, the physically restrained man beside him sweaty and bleeding. He’d ripped open someone’s ribcage with his hands after using the knife to stab into their chest and break their sternum.

The woman he knelt over had been a kind sort, stay at home mom and always took care of the house while her husband worked and their child went to school. She was a busy woman, never seemed to need a break…she’d been a challenge to subdue. He’d expected a fight, so imagine his surprise when she used her pen to try and swipe at him like a knife. He’d feigned surprise and let her think she had him beat, when she went to actually stab him…that’s when he did it.

Her arm raised up into the air, he moved faster than she knew possible for a human and stabbed into her chest. The knife pierced her sternum…but just barely pressed against the outside of her heart. He knew because despite everything between them falling still, he felt that tiny bit of resistance behind her shattered chest. Her arm came down but the pen stabbed right into the protective vest he wore, hardly digging deep enough to cause discomfort.

This choked rasp escaped her throat when he threw her down to the floor, ripping the knife from her body. She was wide eyed and horrified, her blond hair fanned out behind her head and he smiled behind his mask. He had a slight affinity for blonds, their hair became almost black when soaked in blood.

He cleaned his weapon between his fingers and sheathed it before grabbing her ankles and dragging her into the living room. He left her to lay on the floor, screaming for help and asking him why he was doing this. She started begging him for mercy, spare her and leave the house, she’d give him whatever he wanted. She offered him money, then sex but he wasn’t listening; he was too busy adjusting his camera. He’d set it up on one of their high bookshelves much earlier and she’d never even noticed it, once she saw what he was doing, she went back to screaming for help.

Their home was massive and their yard stretched out at least 20 feet on each side of the house, no one was going to hear her until someone opened the door.

Then her husband came home and heard her, he ignored her telling him to run and went straight to the living room. He stopped for only a second, maybe less when he saw his wife, bloody and terrified on the floor when Danny snuck up behind him and sliced his throat.

The man fell to his knees, holding his new wound and Danny kicked him in the shoulder, pushing him over onto his back. The man clutched his throat, trying to stop the trickling blood and coughing as it dripped into his windpipe.

Danny grabbed him by the ankles as well and with a little more effort, as he was a portly man, dragged him to be at least arms length from his wife. Once they were beside each other, Danny returned to the wife, knelt down over her body and she plead for him not to hurt her and she started screaming rape.

He slapped her, shutting her up and making her cry harder when he growled from behind his mask. “Don’t flatter yourself,” Her eyes got wide and despite the ache I felt for that woman, the glee in Danny’s heart was overwhelming.

That terrified look that filled her puffy eyes as she realized that he was not a simple man with simple desires, she thought she knew what he wanted and that giving it to him meant survival. Danny dug the knife into her chest again, ripping her flesh open as she screamed in agony, uselessly trying to push him away. His knife laid to the side, he dug his hands into her chest cavity and started ripping it open. As the husband watched and the woman’s screams dulled out, the pain becoming too much, she lived long enough to see him raise her still beating heart into his palm, her husband watching in paralyzed horror. He presented it to her and crushed it in his hands before her very eyes, then, using his knife to cut the aorta and disconnect it from her body…he went over to the husband. The image of him stuffing his wife’s heart into his mouth and watching him choke to death on it and his own blood…should have made me sick. It didn’t, Danny’s feelings were completely drowning my own away.

Disgust, anger and hatred were replaced by delight, excitement and euphoria. It was as if Danny had reached Nirvana, but that was quickly broken when the door opened and there, he saw a smaller, innocent face. The face of a child, a little boy. He was only 6 years old and he was meant to be at a sleepover tonight…he must have gotten homesick and wanted to go home. The woman wasn’t looking up yet, digging through her purse for something while the boy just stared at his butchered parents and the carnage that had befallen his home.

As the woman explained that the child, named Cody, had had a nightmare and wanted to go home…Danny moved quickly.

Danny never killed kids. He hated to admit it…but he actually liked kids, they were brutally honest and hopelessly optimistic, it made him hate people just a little less. He felt bad…this was the first time a child had bore witness to one of his crimes and he felt bad for the kid…but he didn’t have time for that, he had a mess to clean up now.

He took one of his gloves off and threw it down beside the husband and rushed forward.

Just as the woman looked up and before she could even inhale enough air to scream, he dug the knife into her throat from the side. One sharp twist and her spine snapped, slicing her windpipe and perforating the artery. In that same movement, his ungloved hand covered the eyes of the little boy and lightly gripped his tiny face.

In a single motion, he threw the woman’s body into the kitchen, leaving his knife in her neck and once that hand was freed, he curled his other arm around the boys head and pulled his back against his legs. The child was so scared, he didn’t move. Danny lightly nudged him towards the door with his knee and once the boy was on the front step, Danny let him go and slammed the door on him, locking it and sighing.

Poor kid would have nightmares forever, but hopefully he’d be alright. Danny composed himself as he heard the kid scream and pound on the door to be let in, asking where his parents were. A small smile spread on Danny’s face…he’d butchered the parents in a way that the kid hadn’t recognized them. His young mind might not even be able to comprehend what he saw…he’s so young, he’ll be adopted and forget all about this and him…he hoped.

The kid would take about 3 minutes to find help, maybe longer since Danny knew the neighbors were gone for the night. Then maybe another 2 minutes before someone would rush over to check out the child’s claims. Just then, the boy stopped pounding on the door and Danny turned his attention back to the woman on the kitchen floor, gasping for air and holding the knife in her throat as her wide eyes stared him down. A brunette in jeans and a pink sweater, quickly turning dark brown with her blood and a messy bun in her hair.

Danny calmly pulled out another knife with a fish gutting hook on the back of it and started towards her.

_“Looks like you and I have 5 minutes to **play** ,”_

The trilling of his voice made me shiver and he stopped for a moment and actually stood up off of me. He used his foot to flip me over onto my back and just stared down at me, looking like a lost and confused child with how wide his eyes were.

“You…what did you just do?” he asks and I shake my head unable to answer, this is met with a swift stomp to my chest and all the air leaves my body as I cough harshly. “Don’t _fucking_ lie to me…you just did something. What did you just fucking do?!” he yells and presses down harder on my chest, the tread of his boot biting into my skin through Herman’s stupid dress.

“Wicked…her…power…I…used it…” I wheeze out and he removes his boot, that dull look on his face fading into…something else I couldn’t place. I suddenly couldn’t read his expression, but the vibrant blue of his eyes seemed to shift as if some epiphany had just hit him.

“Oh shit…” he mutters, running his hand through his black, curly hair. “You might just be as bad as her, the woman who knows too much about me.” He explains, as if I’ve started making _him_ uncomfortable.

Just as he reached down to offer me his hand, I grabbed the back of his left ankle and kicked him in the chest as I pulled his foot out from under him. He fell flat on his back with a grunt and I used the momentum to help me sit up. My foot still up against his chest, I slide it down and off the side of his body, kneeling over him and pulling my other leg up. His eyes were now wide with surprise as I pressed my forearm into his throat and straddled his hips, the tables effectively turned.

“Oh no…I’ve been mounted.” He says, somewhat stumbling between the words; as if he didn’t expect me to make any sort of attempt at besting him.

“Bastard! You had better say something to make me believe that you won’t betray us or I swear, I will crush your windpipe and watch you struggle to breathe until you die!!” I snap and that surprise in his eyes shifts to his usual dark grin as its matching smile spreads across his lips.

“Oops, isn’t that a little dark for you? I feel like I’d sooner hear that from someone else…or more like some _thing_ else.” He says and I shake my head to clear it of my angry haze.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I say but his smile continues to make my blood rush through my veins.

“I think I do…and so do you, otherwise you wouldn’t have said something so very vile.” He says and slowly reaches up to my cheek, caressing it with his ungloved hand.

His skin is strangely soft, considering all the lives he’s taken with them. I try to ignore the softness and warmth, clenching my jaw to resist the urge to press against that comfortable heat in his hand. He lightly strokes my cheek with his thumb and I freeze, the very blood in my veins solidifying as a bolt of lightning fires through my brain.

My eyes widen and I look down at him, that twisted smile on his face making his bright blue eyes darken to almost black and I sat up a little, taking my hand from his throat as my thoughts raced and my body started screaming at me.

“Don’t run, that’ll only make things difficult.” He warns softly.

I pushed off his chest with my hands and started running into the woods as fast as my legs would carry me. Just as I got away from him, I could hear him sigh heavily. “Fine, I guess we’re making this difficult.”

SUSIE

The wind whipping through the air stunk of rotten leaves and the overwhelmingly sweet smell of the Pustula flowers. The woods, usually dark, were alight with that spooky orange light they emitted and I actually _felt_ the air around us was thicker and warmer than usual, making me sweat I almost felt like I was drowning out here.

Everywhere that wasn’t Ormond was way too fucking hot, I just wasn’t cut out for warm weather. I loved Ormond because of it’s perpetual state of winter, blanketed with snow all year round with maybe a month of warm weather.

My blood began to boil further as I heard my father’s voice echoing in the back of my head, calling me a little pansy for being so tender about the temperature. I snickered; he had the nerve to call me a pansy when he wouldn’t dare follow me once I ran into the snow.

I felt like a deer, elegant and fast, the cold never bothered me…I didn’t even know what cold felt like anymore. Running through the snow felt like flying and no one could catch me, even if I fell…I felt like I was covered in glitter. Those fond memories quickly became tainted and my heart pinched as Joey’s face flashed through my mind.

Julie introduced me to Joey at one of her parties, we just hit it off when he tried to chug his beer through his nose and practically threw up on my shoes. After that, we never went a day without each other. Then Frank arrived, he and Julie became an item and then we became The Legion. Inseparable and unstoppable; fast and fierce, the direct reason our town was always in chaos.

We felt like an urban legend, always talked about but never directly seen, leaving destruction in our wake wherever we went. It was like being on top of the world…until we went home and got those harsh reminders that we were still kids…living in a shitty little town with shitty people.

I looked down on my hands, seeing the tiny lines in my palms where I’d failed to wash away Joey’s blood. He’d been my other half for so long, held ice over my face after my dad beat me, let me cry myself to sleep in his arms after another screaming match with my mom. He even kicked the shit out of one of our classmates when he tried to hit on me…he was my whole world.

I had to blink and shake my head to get that image of Michael stabbing him through the neck out of my head. My best friend had been taken from me and so had the love of my life. It was just me and Frank left…I was scared because I didn’t want to die but…I didn’t want to live to lose Frank too. He was all I had left…it was the one thing we both understood and that was the fear of being alone.

Julie came from a big family so she enjoyed solitude, Joey was loud and boisterous all the time, but he liked his quiet time too. Frank and I however, being left completely alone in the world was always the thing that promised nightmares.

I only had my little brother, Sam…but my dad’s temper and mom’s drinking got him taken by social services. I got to see Sam maybe once a month and he always cried when they took him away at the end of it…sometimes I felt like my visits did more harm than good for him.

Frank grew up in foster care, if anything I expected him to hate people with a passion…but he wasn’t like that. He welcomed us into his life and we only knew how much we meant to him after he told us about becoming The Legion.

How vulnerable he’d made himself in front of us, was such a big risk to take after being betrayed so many times before. He wanted us to be the family we all deserved but didn’t have, The Legion was our way of choosing who we wanted our family to be. Coming here only solidified it’s meaning for us…but now it was being ripped apart before our eyes and no matter how hard we fought, the final outcome remained bleak.

“God damn it!” echoed from the trees and I snapped to attention.

I started running towards where it seemed to come from, trying to pinpoint the source when I jumped over a fallen tree and froze where I landed.

On the ground a few yards in front of me were (f/n) and Danny. Her arms were tied behind her back and she was on her knees, face pressed against the ground and the dress Herman had put her in hiked up around her hips. Danny was kneeling behind her, one of his hands pressed against the back of her head and the other on her lower back. His hips were hidden by the tule from the dress, but I could see how the bottom of his shirt was raised up just a little and my blood boiled.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” I screamed and started forward, pulling out Joey’s knife, the brass knuckled handle too big for my hand. Just as I got close though, he pulled up his own knife and (f/n)’s head by her hair. She gasped and whined a little as he pressed his knife against her throat.

“Ah-ah, nope. Back up daddy issues,” he says and I prickled a bit when he squinted at me. “Wait…is that Joey’s? Great…where are the rest of you?” he asked, not taking his eyes off me.

I bit my lower lip and clenched the knife a little tighter in my hand, I was trying so hard not to cry again but the tears still fell anyways. Danny tilted his head and his grip on his knife seemed to loosen as he lowers it from being pressed up against her throat.

“He’s dead…Michael killed him.” I said quickly and (f/n)’s eyes got wide.

“Shit…” Danny muttered and pulled his knife away from her neck completely. “Alright, um…this is awkward. Look, Herman and Sally are dead too…things keep falling apart but I’ve got a plan. You have no reason to trust me, but go back to the others and let them know that Amanda and Anna are alright too.”

“(f/n),” I started, not lowering Joey’s knife for even a moment.

“Susie…” she replied, still gasping a little but there was this broken sort of…numbness to her eyes. “Listen to him, Wicked is gone…our plan to set her loose on The Entity isn’t going to happen like we planned. Tell the others about Sally and Herman and we’ll catch up.” She says but lowers her face as she catches her breath, not looking at me. “Please don’t tell Frank or Dwight about this…I’m…buying compliance.” The numbness in her eyes made more sense now and I shook my head, I didn’t want to leave her with him…but I didn’t have a choice.

Danny released her hair but wrapped his hands around her throat and started choking her, (f/n) making this startled shriek as he did and kept her back arched like before. I couldn’t watch anymore so I turned and started for Jane’s house as fast as I think I’ve ever run in my life. I know she said not to tell but there’s no way I was going to let Danny get away with that shit!

(f/n)

Susie turning and running into the trees caused Danny to chuckle a little behind me as his fingers barely pressed into the small curves of my throat around my windpipe. “Sorry about that, that must have been a bit embarrassing for you. For her to see you, bound and bent over, taking it from behind like the easy little slut that you are.” He mocked in his sultry, even tone before finally letting go of my neck.

I fell forward and had to turn my head to avoid hitting my face on the ground, despite my desperate desire for air, I kept my mouth shut until my cheek pressed against the ground. It took all my self-control to inhale through my nose, the feeling of dust going straight up my nose made me snort. A small speck in front of me turned dark brown as I must have pushed some snot out and I turned to look up at Danny, this smug smile on his face.

“Oops, someone’s making a mess. You just can’t help yourself being such a dirty bitch, can you?” he says and I lowered my head, trying to ignore him.

I had to push down my grief for Joey, my empathy for Susie and my humiliation to avoid telling Danny to stop. I knew that if we were going to come back from this, I had to let Danny do as he pleased to me.

He shoved my face harder into the dirt and I once again had to inhale slowly through my nose to avoid getting a mouthful of loose dust. I felt Danny’s arm slide under my lower belly to raise my hips up and thrust into me again. The angle at which he pushed into me pressed hard against my upper inner wall before straightening out and going in properly, but it still hurt like a motherfucker!

“Fuck!” I shrieked, kicking up a small brown cloud before me. I winced in pain, Danny rolling his hips to push into me a little deeper and my eyelids fluttered as I silently enjoyed that sick joy I got from that feeling.

“Oops, sorry. Bad angle.” He says bluntly when he grabs my hips with both hands and starts thrusting, strangely gentle. “Just trust me on this, besides, what have we got to lose? If we kill The Entity, we might die…or escape. Either way, when are we gonna get this kind of opportunity again?”

“You call this an oppor-GUGH!” he cuts me off by his hands suddenly hitting both sides of my head at the same time, jarring me terribly and making the world before my eyes tilt. In that same motion, he rakes his fingers back over my ears and into my hair, grabbing two fistfuls of it before wrenching me back so hard that my chest actually left the ground for a moment.

In this pinned down position, that caused pain to radiate in my lower back, but that turned into a warm dull heat that sent goosebumps up on my skin. With my head back this way and my back arched to the point of it being painful, I was able to look up and see his face.

His eyes were this haunting, ethereal blue and some part of me didn’t want to think it was just this place that made them look that way. His skin was white but not sickly so, more ghostly and his hair was this dark chocolate color but from this angle, it looked black.

“Are you gonna keep arguing with me or am I going to have to take your breath away?” he says and I shut my mouth right away. “That’s what I thought, alright, I’m going to pick you up. Don’t struggle or I might drop you on your pretty face.” He warns and I nod again.

He releases my hair and wraps his arms around my chest, pulling me to sit up on my knees; my back aching as it adjusted to no longer being in that harsh position. Keeping one arm across my chest, he uses his other hand to pushing my legs forward and I think he wants me to stand up. I take a step to do so and am immediately pulled back by the arm on my chest, making me tense up; ready to land on my arms. He doesn’t drop me; he slides his hands down the back of my knees then pulls up until my knees touch my shoulders. I’ve been opened up and presented to any prying eyes that I may not be able to see, my face growing hot with embarrassment!

The feeling of him pulling out of me was sudden and rough, making my tortured hole ache. That was quickly forgotten when Danny laid me down on the ground and stood up, putting his cock back in his pants. “ **Don’t** … **move**.” He warns, the rumble in his voice making me not dare to lower my legs or try to run.

I just closed my eyes and tried to catch my breath…what more could he possibly expect from me? I was about to ask when another leather strap is strung around my bent legs and I can’t stop this choked whine from escaping as he tightens the strap around my legs.

He’d already bound my arms behind my back, tying them so tight that my elbows were nearly touching. Adding to that, my knees being pressed against my shoulders, left my groin and ass completely open and exposed. Each tiny movement that I made, in a vain attempt to get comfortable, only made the strap around my legs pinch the delicate flesh on the back of my knees, bringing water to my eyes. I look up, trying to ignore the burning on my cheeks as Danny chuckles, using his boot to tap one of my exposed ass cheeks.

“Aren’t you just precious, folded up like a little fortune cookie?” he says in a mocking tone.

He starts walking around me, visibly pondering what to do with me and putting me on edge. His eyes never focused on any one part of me for too long, as if he were thinking of all the things that he was about to do to me and wasn’t sure where to begin. The excitement in his blue eyes was almost as alluring as it was frightening.

I’d been comparing Frank to that of a wolf whenever he’d look at me like that…the way Danny was looking at me and how I was bound; I was looking into the cold and calculated eyes of a spider. I was this pathetic little bug stuck in his web, while his eyes looked down on me; struggling. He wanted me awake, lucid and responsive so he could enjoy my helplessness…the power he held over me.

“Danny, please…” I start when he steps up beside me and kneels down, looking at my face with this strange glint in his blue eyes.

“Please? Since when did you start asking me nicely?” he asks as he grabs my ankle and raises my leg up, causing this uncomfortable tightness in my butt. The way his hand was around my ankle force my foot point and it caused the muscles in my rear to ache as he stretched the limb. “You are so tense…nervous?” he asks, still teasing me.

“Danny,” I started; my tone firm, but a swift slap to that same buttcheek made me shriek at a pitch I’m sure only dogs could hear.

“Aww, you’re like a squeaky toy with a pulse.” Releasing my ankle, he presses his boot against that same thigh, this sensation of vulnerability and excitement scuttled up my back. “Consider yourself lucky, you actually get to feel my skin instead of the gloves,” he says it as if I’m supposed to be grateful for being in this position.

I bit into my bottom lip and squeezed my eyes closed to hide my eyes rolling into the back of my head when he laughed loudly. I could feel the muscles in my lower belly clenching and I tried to push my legs together…but it meant nothing.

“Look at how your eager little hole opens and closes with each breath, are you _that_ excited?” he mocks, lightly touching my entrance with his finger and I winced.

It didn’t hurt at all but, my lower body was burning with need as if I was being _under_ -stimulated. My body was craving more attention, to the point where even the fabric of his pants brushing against my shoulder as he walked around me had me whine like a needy bitch.

“I’ve never gotten to toy with someone who was willing before, especially as willing as you are.”

I felt exposed and vulnerable, he’d already done enough so _why_ was he still making me sit here this way?

“Let’s see…what to do?” he made a big show of pacing around, touching his chin as if he didn’t already know what he wanted to do to me. He was just drawing out making me sit here like this.

I started trying to wiggle my arms a little, just to give my shoulders some relief, but he immediately stopped pacing and snatched my ankles. I yelped as he tugged me forward a little then knelt down in front of me, sliding his hands from my ankles to the backs of my knees and pushing until I was rolled up onto the back of my neck and my shoulders.

“I think _this_ suits you better,” he says and presses his knees up against my rear, forcing me to remain in that position and freeing his hands. I could hear him undoing his pants again and pushes himself back into me, stretching my hole to meet his size and forcing this strained, whine out of my throat. This position made it difficult to breath or speak without making these pathetic little whines and mewls. “Now you’ll make that cute little noise no matter what I do to you,” he says, moving his hands away from the back of my thighs; sounding so damn pleased with himself.

He then leans over me, placing his hands on either side of my head and presses his forehead against mine. I’m surprised by this intimate gesture and I look up, seeing deep into his eyes this strange sort of…expression. It was almost…pleading…desperate even.

“You don’t want to look at me?” His voice has lowered and his tone isn’t condescending anymore…he almost seems sad.

 _What the hell is this? Another one of his games?_ I thought to myself when he presses his lips against mine and I feel my whole body go absolutely rigid. I’m stunned and the delicate nature of this action quickly melts away the tenseness and I relax, turning my head to accept him. His body presses down into mine, the heat from behind his clothes enticing.

His lips were soft and warm, when he turned his head, his nose lightly bumped into mine and this soft hum from him tickled my upper lip. I moved my lips to kiss him again but he pulled away, that strangely somber expression still on his face. “I want to look at you,” he says as his hips begin to rock against mine, causing that warmth inside my core to grow stronger.

“Hmmm,” I winced and allowed my resistance to wain and I found myself softening my gaze on him.

My brain began to slip into that Stockholm Syndrome state and I began to see Danny a little differently. His face still held that mischievous expression despite the softening of his approach, he looked like a guy I used to fawn over when I was in high school. Always on everyone’s good side despite always laughing at them behind their backs…it was effortless, making people comfortable. The easiest way to describe it…was fake…that warmth that he’d show the world was just an act.

It was that same look that I’d see in Frank…but there was no sadness here, no agony and no anger.

Danny was a blank slate, there was no desire to gain comrades, no drive to do…anything outside of…control. I didn’t see any fear of not being in control…he was entitled to control everyone around him…control what they saw, what they thought of him, what they thought they knew.

I let out this trembling breath as all these things reached my mind and I shivered. He smirked down at me and chuckled.

“I want to enjoy this too, enjoy that look that washes over you and see when you hit that _pique_.” His voice was smooth and sent a shiver up my back, making my next action a little shaky.

With what little mobility I did have, I tried to raise my hips up more and clenched my insides to try and convey my compliance and desire without saying so myself. He didn’t like that.

“If you don’t say what you want me to do, I won’t move.” He says and he slightly pushes himself into me further, barely stimulating me as he then falls still. He’s reminding me that he’s there but not pushing me any closer to orgasm, dangling that sweet bliss over my head like I’m a rabid dog.

“You’re such an ass-” my voice was thrown off by him pressing his thumb against my under stimulated clit and I closed my mouth to try and avoid crying out. When had he even moved his hand!? The pressure from his thumb sent a sharp and sudden shoot of pain into my lower belly!

“What did you just call me?” He asked, digging his thumb into my delicate nub.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!!” I cried and he tilted his head at me. “Sorry…sir?” I offered and he smiled, pulling his hand away quickly and I let out a gasp.

“That’s better…” he then slowly begins moving into me and I cringe, trying not to show that some twisted part of me enjoyed the dull burn in my clit as the ache faded.

The slow rocking of his hips was overwhelmingly amazing, I felt the back of my head press into the dirt as my lips parted in this silent little exhale. His heat stretching me out inside and teasing over my G-spot slowly was making my hips burn with desire for him to go faster. He looked down on my body and this smug grin spread across his face.

“Did you like that?” he asks me in a low whisper and I nodded a little too vigorously for my pride, but my body was winning out again. My sex drive didn’t used to be so easily swayed before I came here, part of me wondered if that was Wicked’s influence or just self-discovery in a new place.

“You want more?” I nodded again, much more vigorously. “Gotta use your words like a big girl,” he sneers and I let out this growl before allowing myself to submit to the blaze in my belly.

“Please… _fuck me_ …please!” I said, suddenly feeling the urge to hold onto him but my arms were tied.

“Good girl,” he says as he thrusts into me harder, causing this fiendish kick in my lower belly.

“Ooooh, someone likes it when it’s nice and…dee~p” he says pulling out then pushing back into me slowly, causing the fire in my body to flood into my bound legs. I felt him hit the back of my insides and I instinctively tried to move away, but there was no way for me to move.

With another sharp jerk from his hips, there was that little ‘pat’ against my inner thighs. Danny leaned down to my neck and letting out a hot breath against my exposed throat.

“Oooh _fuck_!” he suddenly bites into my throat and I gasp in surprise, his teeth digging into my skin and sending more nerves into an absolute fit as he presses down onto my body harder.

I felt in my chest that it was getting harder to breathe without making noise, exactly what he wanted. I whimpered with every breath and that noise would sometimes be interrupted by a moan or other sound of delight as Danny continued to fuck me into the dirt.

My arms have numbed past the ache in my wrists and my shoulders are fiery with this position but I couldn’t care less as the bliss in my belly continued to rage and grow stronger. I could feel this pressure inside my lower belly; familiar and scary since I couldn’t stop it, heat began to pour out of me. I gasped and tried to close my legs, but all I did was squeeze Danny a little and that’s when he looked down, this dark grin spreading onto his face.

“What is that, couldn’t hold it anymore?” He asked and I shook my head.

With the way my body is folded up like this and my legs were spread out, there was no chance in hell I could hold it in. To add that Danny was basically beating the hell out of me inside, it was almost like squeezing a water balloon.

He grabbed the hair at the front of my head and pulled me up, worsening the pressure and making another little spurt come out of me. The puddle around my ass was silty from the dirt and made me feel disgusting…but I didn’t care as Danny looked at me. The hunger in his eyes makes my chest flutter, tears piquing in my eyes. Then he kissed me, roughly, without hesitation and pushed his tongue into my mouth. The heat and somewhat spicey taste of his tongue made a little shudder go through my body.

He suddenly pushed into me harder and growled against my tongue as I felt this heat pour into me and I realized that he’d finished. The sensation of his cum seeping into me surprised me, but then he continued to thrust into me, almost seeming to try and push it deeper into me. That idea that he wanted to me feel it so deep inside, is what started that slow decent towards my own end…but he wasn’t patient. He sat up and placed his open hand against my lower belly, rubbing it softly and making goosebumps raise up on my skin.

“Aren’t I sweet to you? You’re nice and warm inside now, right?” he asks and I nod.

“Mmhmm.” I had to bite down on my lower lip to resist the urge to beg for more.

Maintaining that smile on his face, he pushes that same hand hard against my belly and with this loud, painful pop sound, he rips himself out of me. This high pitch screech escapes me and he chuckles as he stands up, putting himself away and dusting off his knees.

“Ha, oops. I forgot, that probably hurts a bit for you.” He says and I glare up at him, desperation and overstimulation absolutely driving me mad! I move to try and get up, but am reminded that my arms are tied tightly and my legs are bound in a way that keep them up against my shoulders. My struggle seems to amuse him as he snickers before calmly adjusting a few of his straps.

“Damn it!!” I cry out, unable to even touch myself and he looks up at me, confused.

“What’s your problem? Needy?” he mocks.

“Is _this_ what you do? Just use someone till you get what you want?” I asked and he shook his head.

“What? No, you didn’t ask me for anything.” He says, and I glared up at him.

“Why the fuck would I ask you?! Its sex, the whole point is to help each other-” He cuts me off.

“Um, not really. You’re not my partner, if I’m right we’re not even really friends. You are the needy little slut, who let me tie you up and fuck you raw until I finished. You asked me to fuck you, nothing more.” He says easily and I realize now what he’s expecting from me, the realization in my eyes making him smile.

“Are you fucking serious?!” It was so hard to be angry and intimidating in this position.

“Such a potty mouth,” he reprimands as he starts to pull his gloves out of his pocket and I let out this noise somewhere between a scream and a growl before looking up at him. I can’t do this, I can’t keep fighting this, I can’t take it anymore!

“Fine! Fine, I’m sorry!!! I can’t take this anymore, Danny!! I need you!!” I said and he quirked an eyebrow at me.

“Um…duh, otherwise you’re not getting out of those straps.” He starts to walk towards me, but I shake my head and he stops.

“No…I…need you to…fuck…me…” I started, my pride withering away as my desire took control.

“Again? I just did,” he mocked and started undoing his belt again.

“Damn it…Danny…” I whined and he stopped his hands and looked up at me. “I need you to make me cum, please!! I need it so badly!” I begged, my face burning and he smiled, kneeling down in front of me again. He pushed two fingers into my hole and scissored them out, opening me up; making me whine like a kicked puppy.

“Aww…that’s what you wanted? Why didn’t you just say so?” he uses his other hand to undo his pants the rest of the way and he once again presents himself to my hole, not seeming to have softened at all, despite him just cumming inside me!

“Yes, please!! I wanna cum so badly-AHH!” I shrieked as he pushed his cock back into me, those two fingers he’d opened me up with still prodding at my stretched-out entrance, causing this slight burning at the edges of my hole. “Ow…” I whimpered softly.

“Oh no, I’m sorry…too much?” he asks, his mocking baby voice making me fall into that vulnerable state and I give him puppy dog eyes.

“Mmhmm,” I nod and he pulls his fingers away, giving my hole some relief. “Ah,”

“You want me to make you cum?” he asks as he starts using those fingers to rub against my swollen clit, actually stimulating me and not crushing it.

“Yes, please! I want it so badly, it hurts!” I said, embellishing a little but he didn’t need to know that! He just needed to finish me already!

“Holy shit, you’re so fucking tender when you’re needy.” He says, stopping his hips and hand, making me cry out.

“Ahhh, please!! Don’t stop, keep fucking me until I cum!!!” I begged, louder than I meant to, he’s driving me absolutely insane with all this edging and I’m probably gonna kill him later!! My thoughts are brought to a stop as his hips begin bucking against me, hard enough to cause that slapping sound and I feel my eyes start to roll back as his fingers also begin their assault on my abused clit.

I felt like I was screaming but I know it was this long, drawn out and choked sounding moan as pleasure began to flood every sense I had!

Danny leaned down; his hand left my clit as he pushed his right forearm under my neck to force me to look up at him. His eyes looked a little glazed over as well and I could see this one bead of sweat on his cheek.

“You’re sweating,” I said and he smirked at me.

“I could talk about where you’re _sweating_?” He says and I clench my abs, sitting up a little so I can push my forehead against his, looking deep into his eyes. He seemed a little surprised, but he smiled and I felt his fingers lace into my hair.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…please let me cum though?” I begged and he let out this breathy chuckle.

“Say it louder, tell me what you want.” He orders and my heart does a backflip at the sound of that commanding tone.

“I wanna fucking cum, please make me cum! I want it so bad!!” I begged and his thrusts became harder, the pressure in my stomach building up.

All at once, it was like a bomb going off inside. My whole body convulsed and despite me not being able to get out of the straps before, my legs jerked downward and I heard this loud and crisp *snap* as it broke. The snap was sharp and caused this stab of pain up the back of my thigh but and my legs wrapped around Danny’s hips, holding him close as he continued to fuck me through it!!

“Holy fuck!!” he groans, I pushed my slightly open mouth against his lips and he kissed me like he was hungry for it and continued to thrust through my hips!! He bowed his head into my face, pressing his nose into my cheek and closing his eyes. His expression was a grimace as his hips continued their jackhammering into me until that fiery feeling spread into my lower belly again and he moaned against my lips.

His moan was a sultry mix between a growl and a higher pitch curse. His thrusting hadn’t stopped or slowed and I felt the fire in my belly implode only to burst once again as another orgasm fired off.

“C-c-cumming, I’m cu-” I lost the ability to articulate as pleasure ravaged my body again and Danny’s thrusting stopped as he pushed into me, getting his cock as deep into me as he could before he slammed a hand onto the ground behind me, growling like an angry dog.

The images above me were blurred and smudged as if the world was water colors and I spilled water all over it. The sky was this wash of purple and orange with none of the white specs I missed so dearly. The few clouds I could see were orange but seemed singed by the orange glowing moon above. My heart was pounding and I was slowly becoming aware of the dirt clinging to my neck, shoulders and ass.

Danny’s breath was making the fabric over my chest hot and I felt this sheen of moisture building up against my flesh.

The feeling of Danny’s hand against my lower belly made me look down. I couldn’t see his face, his black curly hair hid his expression, but I could see that in his other hand, he held his knife.

I was still overwhelmed by the afterglow, so I didn’t react at all until he then used his knee against my rear to slowly roll me onto my side and he sliced the strap away from my arms. Pain began radiating through my shoulders and the feeling slowly returned to my arms, feeling like lava filling my limbs. My fingers almost immediately started tingling, the pins and needles sensation in my palms making me wince.

“Easy, easy…your shoulders are gonna be screaming, hold still.” He says then carefully and slowly pulls himself out of me, the sensation making this tiny little jolt of fire up my body and I squeaked.

“Sorry,” he says and puts himself together as I lay there, not moving. I didn’t feel it necessary to tell him that noise wasn’t of pain.

He was right about my shoulders, they were absolutely burning right now, but the feeling was starting to subside now that I could move. I jumped a little when I felt his hands against my thighs and then I relaxed as he rubbed them.

“I did _not_ think you were going to break any of those straps, I guess I underestimated your leg muscles. I won’t do that again, that probably hurt.” He says and I look up at him, seeing this strange sort of…look on his face.

His eyes were dilated and clear, almost glistening and his sinister smile had been replaced with this gentle smile that strangely made me feel…comfortable. It was like looking at a different person, his whole demeanor seemed more subdued than before, as if the beast was pacified.

“Are you alright?” he asked and I nodded, not saying anything as he carefully moves back, puts himself away and then snatches at the handle of his knife. He puts it back and then kneels beside me, pushing his arms under my legs and behind my back.

I’m lifted up into his arms and instinctively wrap my arms around his shoulders, holding on. He starts into the woods and allows me to slip down in his grip enough to let me rest my head against his shoulder.

“Are _you_ alright?” I asked and he scoffed a little.

“If you tell anyone about this…I _will_ not hesitate to gut you in front of everyone and make Dwight eat it.” Despite the horrid threat…I don’t take it seriously and snort.

“Bullshit,” he snickers.

“Don’t test me. Try to rest up on the way back, I’ve got you.” He says and I fight the urge to laugh right back as I close my eyes and make a mental note before I fade into sleep.

I’m startled awake by this sound of bloodcurdling screaming from somewhere in the woods making my stomach leap. That start sent a wave of nausea through me, which was not made any better by Danny running with me in his arms. I clung to his shoulders as he did, the loud sound of screaming getting more and more gut wrenching as we sped through the trees.

“What was that? What’s happening?”

“Not good,” he says when he skids to a halt as he exits the woods.

He kneels down and sets me down, quickly pulling his gloves and mask out of his pocket. As he puts those on, I get myself to my feet and don’t even bother with the bunched up tule around my hips under the dress as I take in the area before me.

We’ve entered the clearing where Jane’s house is and instead of seeing her house…I just see this massive wall of purple smoke. It was like being outside a tornado as the smoke spiraled around where her house was and I could hear the screaming happening within the smoke, a mixture of male and female screams sending goosebumps up on my skin.

“What is _that_?” I ask and as I turn back to Danny, he’s pulled his hood up and is once again wearing his mask.

“That’s Jefferey…he’s got a Pustula.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	13. Now f*cking what?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> COMPLETE!!  
> How far must you fall before you can find your peace?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Relentless is a long erotic themed story that may not be suitable for all readers in order to tell the story. In no way, shape or form are you meant to repeat or replicate the actions performed by the fictional characters within this work.  
> Reader discretion is advised. (Use common sense please)  
> This story will explore the following topics:  
> PTSD, Domestic Violence, Criminal Violence, Drug Abuse, Trauma, Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Gore, Anguish and Implied Pedophilia.  
> About the Pedophilia warning…I mean Freddy Krueger from the 2010 film adaptation, not the original from 1984. Originally, he was meant to have a pedophiliac backstory, but they axed that idea when an abuse case in a nearby daycare hit the media and they wanted to avoid that stigma. This is public knowledge, so I promise I’m not being a creep by making up an excuse to include it as a warning.  
> Dead by Daylight took from the 2010 adaptation so I wanted to remain true to that, to give my story that same image in your mind as to what to expect whenever Freddy is involved. I loved the goofy, mean spirited Robert Englund portrayal; don’t get me wrong. Jack Earle Haley’s portrayal painted him as the chilling, skin-crawling, horrifying villain that made me squirm in my seat; which is exactly what a villain should cause, especially with the tone the filmmakers were setting forth. I only mention the implication in passing and in statements made regarding him, but – being a CSA survivor myself – I know how delicate the topic can be so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they’d see upon reading my stories.  
> I may want to scare you or freak you out, I will NEVER try to trigger any past trauma you may have because that is not a safe method of evoking emotion from my readers.  
> With all these warnings in mind, please enjoy :3

It was like the color saturation all around us had changed. The orange light that covered everything was ethereal and almost made it all glow, hurting my eyes at first. It looked more like there was a massive fire and the sky was orange with smoke and heat…but the wind was cold and made me feel disoriented.

Despite the moon clearly glowing like a jack-o-lantern above us, the light it cast down made the world look more like we were trapped in this surreal twilight.

The dome of purple smoke swirled around where Jane’s house stood, as if it were covered by an invisible cup keeping it there.

While the smoke was visible in that sinister spiral, the smell surrounding it was overwhelmingly sweet and stinking at the same time, burning my nose and making my eyes water. I began to cough and Danny jogged back a little, setting me down on the ground. I felt a little squish between my thighs as I felt Danny’s load start spilling out of me and I shifted uncomfortably. I could feel the quickly cooling goo on the tule that made up the dress’s poufy layers and that just smeared it around on my legs.

“Jesus, this place stinks like a dead skunk.” Danny grumbles, staying knelt beside me.

“Is _that_ what that smell is?” I asked, trying not to inhale too much more of that noxious stink.

“Most of us just call it his natural musk. Whatever he’s mixing in his bottles now is being amplified by the Pustula flowers. It’s not doing much more than stinking out here, can’t imagine it smells much better in there.” He says. “Your friends might already be out cold.”

“Yeah, so how are we supposed to stop him if it’s this strong?” I managed before I turned my head to cough again.

“Nope, no _we_ ; I’m going to see what I can do before he realizes that he’s stronger than me.” He stands up, pulling his mask into place and bringing his hood back up, calmly pushing his curly hair underneath it.

“Excuse me? You’re going to-” I had to stop and hack up another lung, Danny not reacting to me at all.

“Exactly, you’re not even in there and you can barely breathe. You’ll just be this noisemaker I’m toting around and completely useless in there. Besides, without Wicked around, you are 100% survivor again; meaning you can be Sacrificed. So, you can sit and stay out of my way.”

“I’m not a dog, you ass.” I mutter as he tucks his cloak into his gloves and tightens some of the straps on him.

“You’re enough of a bitch to me. Once the smoke clears, you can rejoin the ranks. This is the first time I’ve seen anyone get a Pustula and go…berserk, let’s call it that. I need to know what I’m up against first.” He looks down at me and even though his face is completely hidden by the mask, I can still hear the smile on his lips. “Learning my targets weaknesses is sort of my niche, can’t really be stealthy if someone’s tossing their cookies in my ear.”

“You think you can actually take him?” I ask and Danny replies to me by shaking his head and starting into the smoke.

“That’s what I’m going to find out.” he mutters and drops into a crouch, this black cloud of smoke billowing up around him and once it clears, he’s gone.

I was still coughing so I stood up; ignoring the itchy dripping down my legs and got a little further from the clearing. I stopped at the tree line, not wanting to go too far and fortunately, the stink was manageable at this distance and I stopped coughing.

It was a strange smell, there was this sweet and enticing aroma mixed with the vile stench that wafted with it. The daunting mixture’s flavor teasing on the back of my tongue and I resisted the urge to spit.

I looked down and saw that whatever little piece of Wicked still lived within me, had mostly healed my butchered feet so walking wasn’t an issue anymore. I shook my hair out, feeling it sort of peel away from my neck, what moisture remained from my sweat chilling instantly. Combing my fingers through my hair, I considered how bad things have become since I was taken.

Jefferey was already a menace all his own, but from the way Danny described it…Pustula’s seemed to give more power to whoever had them. That being said, I didn’t know the full extent of his abilities…so I had no clue what he was capable of now.

I started looking up into the trees and I remembered something Meg showed me when I first got here. Channeling my inner Meg, I grabbed the lowest hanging branch above me and started climbing. The sap glued to my palms and the bark scraped my forearms as I pulled myself up. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath, but eventually I made it high enough to peek out from between the maple leaves and look around.

I couldn’t see anything within the smoke cloud, fortunately Jane’s house was too tall and I could see the very top of the roof. I could at least gauge how wide around her house the smoke cloud was. I looked down and saw something out in the distance.

There were three black heaps on the ground a little way from the smoke cloud and my blood froze in my veins. The three heaps were bodies, two missing their heads and one dragging itself forward from the trees.

DANNY

My mask did little to provide any reprieve from the smoke, this was far worse than anything I’ve seen from Jefferey before. His usual tonic smelled of alcohol and made you feel like the inside of your nose was burning...this was just vile. It wreaked of his body odor and had become a sour tang that sat at the back of your tongue and stabbed at your tastebuds.

Being in his presence already made me feel like I needed a shower, this just made me feel like I needed to set myself on fire.

The smoke around me was thick and a vibrant, sparkling purple; it didn’t look the way it smelled at all and I think that’s what made it worse. I was starting to wonder why I couldn’t hear Jefferey’s fat ass laughing somewhere within this shit. I considered the potential that this stuff would muffle my hearing, but I was proven wrong as this choked sound of crying reached me.

I followed the sound until I nearly tripped over this curled up ball on the ground, rocking back and forth. Jeez, I didn’t even see her at first…stupid smoke. There was a vizor wearing bear on the back of her shirt and I recognized her; its Feng.

It was odd to see her by herself, she always kept herself near others as a sort of safety blanket. If she senses we’re coming, she’ll hide and let whoever she’s with take the aggro instead. She was also-annoyingly so-one of the hardest ones to keep track of sometimes…why is she all alone?

I crouched down and touched her shoulder, receiving a flurry of weak but surprisingly panicked swipes in return. I was surprised by a splatter of blood against my mask when I noticed, all her fingers on both hands were gone! The nubs where they would have been attached didn’t look like they’d been burned or stitched, they just looked like the flesh caved in on itself and sealed up.

“Easy, easy!! I’m with you guys. What happened to you?” I asked but she shook her head.

She raised her arms and tried to gesture somewhere into the smoke, humming and grunting a little as she did so. I grabbed her wrists and lowered them, making her look up at me. Her eyes were swollen and red, the blood vessels under them broken and making pink freckles on her face.

“Feng, why aren’t you talking?” I asked and got a face full of blood as she spit it out and sobbed, her lips painted dark red. “Jesus fuck!”

Through her parted lips, I could see the wiggling, bloody stump that was what’s left of her tongue. She was trying to speak, all that was coming out was frantic mumbling and groans. She began sobbing and hitting my shoulder with her fingerless hand. I patted her head and then pulled her head towards where I’d come from. “Straight that way, about 30 feet that way will get you out of the smoke and (f/n) is out there. You’ve been exposed to this shit for too long and it’s making you a little loopy, trust me; Ok?” I lightly shoved her into that direction and she slowly started walking that way, her arms outstretched to search with her hands.

Turning back into the smoke and going forward, I made mental note that Jefferey has upgraded from just one finger…to all of them and the tongue. This just made me more concerned when I started to see bodies strewn about, laying in the dirt. I went over to the nearest one to confirm what I was worried about, fortunately…Meg had all her fingers. It looks like the smoke actually did these ones a favor and knocked them out. No one is making noise so he can’t find anyone else, Jefferey uses the smoke to disorient others, but he can’t see through it.

Just then I heard his familiar coughing in the distance and dropped into a crouch, tightening my grip on my knife as I ventured closer. I focused on the sound of him hacking and coughing like a chain smoker, when I spotted his hulking form before me.

His back was to me, so I retained the element of surprise. I drew nearer when I spotted this massive silver syringe mechanism dug into his back, marked with a paper tag 1130 and it was just oozing serum.

I jolted a little and backed up a pace, that syringe in his back threw a wrench into my theory. He didn’t claim a Pustula, someone isolated the nectar and _injected_ him with it!

The back of his jacket had been ripped as his body had swelled up, I could see the pink flesh around the injection zone had erupted into boils all over his back. The overdose of nectar caused his already warped body to morph even further, veins under his skin popped and glowing yellow.

His hair had this slightly orange tinge to it and despite male pattern baldness, what hair he did have stuck straight out to the sides like a manic Albert Einstein…without the brain power. I could see the spikes on his jacket were sharpened to a point and on his right shoulder, the jacket seemed to melt into the massive yellow boils that had sprouted on his skin. Those particular boils had filled up with nectar like balloons, the flesh growing more transparent until they just glowed with that same golden yellow, a few wormy veins reminding me that it was indeed his flesh.

I looked down and could see those same boils had grown around his left ankle, the left boot was gone. His skin looked like he’d decomposed about a month, the flesh around the ankle was rolls upon rolls of rotting flesh, yellow veins popping out from beneath and a few open splits in the skin.

I noticed a second ring on his hip with more fingers, likely Feng’s fingers; the golden ring stabbed through the base so they could hang there like keys.

Just then, he turned and I literally just squatted there staring up at him. His face had been warped too, but I can’t tell how bad because his eyes, nose and lips had been carved out of his face! It looked like he tried to carve a jack-o-lantern into his own head! His teeth were all that remained, what few that were left anyways and glower Pustula nectar dripped out of all the holes and gashes.

His red bowtie was stained with the same glowing liquid, a twitching Pustula pinned to his lapel and it too was spurting the same yellow acid. The black legs on it twitched like a crushed spiders’ legs, the orange petals lined with dark purple veins.

His shirt was open to accommodate his nectar swollen belly, as if he were pregnant with more flowers. The flesh around his belly had split down into long lacerations, bleeding and barely held closed with rusty wires. I could see these tiny strands of flabby tissue barely hanging on between a few of the cuts. His skin had boiled up all over until his flesh just couldn’t handle it anymore. His arms looked like they’d been pumped full of saltwater and his nails looked like wood.

His knife handle was broken and splintered at the end and tied with aged electric tape, the black having lost its sheen and was now this dried out grey color. Attached with that electric tape was another silver syringe but it appears to have been broken, the nectar already doing its job by filling the leafy veins on the blade and making the tip glow that same yellow. Some of the nectar leaked out of his wounded stomach and onto his crotch, causing-oh shit, I just pictured what his cock might look like and threw up in my mouth a little.

As if he wasn’t already a fucking disaster. He probably would have looked more put together after being hit by a train.

He had his other arm raised up into the air, mixing another bottle when he groaned a little at me.

“Heh, hey there Jefferey. What’s uh…what’s going on there?” I asked and he presented the bottle to me. “Ohhh, you ah…making something new there?”

He nodded then pushed the cork off the top of the bottle with his thumb, spraying me in the face with the seltzer like mixture. It burned my eyes and knocked me backwards, tripping over one of the unconscious bodies and falling onto my back. “Fuck!”

Someone nearby moaned as they were starting to wake up and Jefferey turned his attention to them, I ripped off my mask and gasped for air. I immediately started hacking as the mixture of sour stenches overwhelmed my nose and mouth, causing my whole head to start aching.

I heard a scream and look around to see when a loud clap illuminated the smoke just enough for me to see Jefferey standing over Kate. I snatched my weapon out of its holster and hurried forward, tripping on another fucking body that I couldn’t see and my knife sliding out of my grasp and into the smoke.

“Damn it!” I growled as the screaming became muffled.

Jefferey stomped his bare foot down on Kate’s head, pressing her pretty face into the dirt. Kate’s fingers were clawing into the dirt around her face, scratching the sides of it as she did. Jefferey reached down and grabbed her hand, this deep moaning in the back of his throat. I got up and ran up on him, throwing my body into his back and it felt like I hit a brick wall.

It did enough though, he staggered and knelt down in front of Kate’s head and allowed her to lift her face up. She gasped and coughed, spitting out the dirt that got into her mouth, tears clearing small trails of that dirt down her cheeks.

“Hey, I wasn’t done with you; fugly.” I said, pulling another knife out of the strap on my left ankle.

He turned and threw another bottle at my head, easy dodge and it missed entirely. I was surprised when this heavy cloud of purple suddenly overtook me from behind like a wave. I tried to rush forward to escape it and ran straight into his nasty ass belly and I got knocked down onto my back.

I can feel this slight pop in my neck as I hit the ground and immediately feel a whoosh from my chest, the wind sufficiently knocked out of me. I forced myself up into a sitting position to see him dragging Kate by the back of her shirt and her struggling so hard that the straps ripped from their seams.

She was hacking out a plea, but I couldn’t understand her as she coughed and cried. Jefferey yanked back harder and she grabbed against her chest to keep from popping out. He then held up a strangely familiar looking bottle and poured it over her face.

She sputtered and coughed louder when he threw her down onto the ground and she gasped for air, trying to crawl away.

“Hey-w-w-wait-” I started before I tried to stand and fell to my knees. Whatever was in that bottle was sapping all my strength and burning through my chest.

I fell forward onto my elbows and gasped, the air growing thinner and thinner until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. I felt some tears push through my lids as I pinched them closed, my nose started running and every breath was a loud rasp.

“You fat fucking freak!” I managed to get out before, once again breaking into a fit of burning coughs.

Kate’s voice stood out as she sobbed and I could hear soft thumps as she hit him. “NOO! Let go of me! LET GO!” she screamed, her voice cracking and hoarse.

I could hear her get punched, letting out this pathetic little cry and whimper. I started feeling around, trying to open my eyes enough to see, but the burning from the smoke made it impossible. I felt this tingling in my hands, knowing good and well that I’d fucked up and Kate was going to pay for it.

“Come…with…me…” this rasping voice crept up behind me and I tried to turn back and see who it was. It wasn’t The Entity, this rasping sounded more like someone was gargling glue. I could hear the bubbles in their throat popping with this little woosh of air.

My legs straightened out behind me as the owner of that voice grabbed my ankles and started dragging me back. I couldn’t muster any strength in me to struggle or fight against them! I figured that I could withstand the effects of the smoke long enough to take Jefferey down, but I underestimated his power and overestimated my own.

“Come…with…me…” the voice continued to whisper as we left the cloud of smoke.

I could hear a wet ripping and crunching sound as Jefferey carved into some part of Kate and her screams echoed around the smoke and beyond.

Mustering what little strength I could, I turned and tried to make out the form behind me. All I could see was a figure cloaked and looking at me with glowing orange eyes as he dragged me into the trees.

(f/n)

I wasn’t even sure where to begin with whose bodies those could be. My heart was twisting as I went down the list of people it could be…Dwight and Frank clearly made me fear the most. If it was them…I don’t think I could carry on. Yes, I was willing to lose them if we did escape, but to lose them here and all our effort and sacrifices being wasted; would probably break me.

Growing near enough to see the bodies, cost me the feeling in my legs. I collapsed to my knees and just stared at the body closest to me. Joey’s body laid there, limp and several long fleshy flaps hung loose from where his head had been viciously removed. A large semi-dry puddle of blood had spread out and soaked into the dirt.

Off to my right was another body that was unmistakably Michael Myers. I could barley make out his neck as it looked as though it had been fed into a woodchipper. I could see little chunks of his head and rubbery bits of the mask scattered around, as if his head exploded. He was also surrounded with that same dark brown mark in the dirt where his blood had soaked into the earth.

I felt my belly rumbling and before I could stop myself, this milky bile spewed forth from my mouth. It tasted sour and left me feeling lightheaded and hollow.

My already twisting heart began to rip through my veins and crack my bones, what if this was just the beginning of it? I was about to find all my friends slaughtered and the night would be lost to us anyways.

I tried to pull myself together, wrapping my arms around myself and holding onto my shoulders. If I lost hope now, I’d surely fail everyone. I felt this sort of dark shadow peering up over my shoulder, glaring at me and growling.

Every thing about this place has been a hellscape, long before I got here and my arriving just made things worse for everyone here. How bad do I have to be to make _literal hell_ worse than that?! I thought I was doing right by them all by fighting back and trying to put an end to this place. All I did was make the world harder for everyone…and I cost Frank his family.

All I’ve done…is damn the people I was trying so hard to protect. My eyes burned as tears started forcing their way out and I bowed my head, touching my forehead to my knees as I began that familiar descent. Everything hurt, everything was too much and I couldn’t face it…I just wanted to burst into flames and maybe then, it would stop.

I heard this low gurgling and froze, sobs halted, pain fizzled and my entire body lit up like a firework. I whipped around quickly, harnessing life in my hair and snatching at the arm of whoever it was that stood there behind me. I found myself staring directly into the tip of a needle, connected to a glowing orange syringe.

I felt muscles within my shoulders aching, my hair constricting this man’s arm until the arm snapped like a twig and he dropped the needle on the ground before me.

The face of this man was hidden from me by this thick burlap scarf wrapped around his face, what I could make out were his glowing orange eyes. It was like looking into a glowing orange pumpkin, when what looked like that same orange liquid in the syringe dripped down from under the scarf.

Without thinking, I swiped at the scarf and pulled it off his face. I screamed as I saw this grim result of whatever that orange crap was doing to his body. His face had seemingly decayed and melted at the same time, the sclera in his eyes completely blackened with only the irises glowing; no pupil from what I could see. His nose looked like he’d chopped it off, the flesh around it still red and angry.

The rest of his cheeks, jaw and mouth had melted down like a burning candle where he’d seemingly started growing fangs. With now jaw bone to hold the teeth, they just hung in the flesh, making me think of some horrible blood sucking monster from a sci-fi movie.

He looked as if he’d been a monk of some sort prior to whatever happened to him from his religious looking robes and hood. The cavernous flesh hole that now served as his mouth was dripping even more of that orange liquid.

He lunged at me when there was a loud scream that sent a chill through my body and the man was suddenly on the ground, Sally kneeling over him with her hands around his neck. I backed up and tripped, falling onto my butt hard as I watched the man claw at Sally’s shoulder with his uninjured arm, the broken one sort of just flopping about as he swung. How was that not agonizing?!

“Sally!?” I yelled and that’s when he finally pushed her off him and raced off into the trees, disappearing into them and leaving Sally laying on her side. “Sally!” I got up and ran over, kneeling at her side.

There was no doubt at all, she was still with us…somehow. I resisted the urge to hug her as I looked at what remained of her mangled body. She no longer wore that physical prison of an outfit; she just wore the vintage nurses uniform I’d first seen her in. The dress of it had been ripped through severely, looking more like a mini dress and less of a uniform. The chest was completely drenched in blood, but I couldn’t tell if it was hers or not.

The long, formerly poufy sleeves had also been shredded and stitched back against one another, seams fraying and almost burnt looking.

I looked down at her legs and could see that…her left leg was gone! Her right leg was made up of discolored patches of flesh, all in various stages of rot. The skin was held together with the same sloppy stich work that held her sleeves together, only each entry point for the thread was blackened with bruises and leaking puss. The veins under the few jaundice-stricken patches were black, it looked like she wasn’t aware that she died earlier.

“ _How_ are you here? Wait, where’s Herman?!” I looked around, terrified of seeing him not far behind her, but she shook her head.

“It cost me my leg…but he’s gone, and should stay that way.” She said when she revealed the end of the stump where the flesh had been cauterized till it was black.

I stroked her cheek, feeling her cheekbones through her paper-thin skin. My heart ached as I thought about everything that lead up to her coming here…all the pain she endured, yet she was still such a good person inside. Her whole world had been perfect, she had her fairytale and wanted nothing more, no monetary wealth was worth more than building a family and being a wife. It was all stolen from her in the most heartbreaking way…and seeing it in her, that sweet, generous and pure personality had been beaten and worn into something else.

_P…ty_

I whipped my head around quickly, not seeing anyone aside from the trees and swirling storm above. Sally’s hand on my arm didn’t pull me back, my heart was pounding because…for a split second, I thought I could hear Wicked.

“(f/n), what’s wrong?” she asked me, sound extremely worried.

I grabbed her hand and squeezed, not looking back yet…sort of hoping I’d see my doppelganger out there in the trees.

“Nothing, I just thought I heard something…but it was nothing.”

Susie

The smell of the smoke was overwhelmingly awful but wrapping Joey’s blood-soaked mask around my nose and mouth, plus putting my own mask on managed to filter the stench enough for me to manage through the smoke without any trouble.

My eyes burned as I fought the urge to cry for him, the mask still smelled like him…even through the blood I could smell his last breath on it. I didn’t want to go searching for the others again…I wanted to curl up and just die so I could follow him and Julie, but Frank needed me. (f/n) needed me…I had to be strong for them. I could mourn later.

I could hear somewhere ahead of me this high pitch cry from Kate. It was quickly followed by a slew of these stomach-turning grunts and screams. I rushed forward from my hiding place beside Jane’s porch, careful to dodge the bodies that lie in wait like idle landmines.

I tried to go into Jane’s house again but, some how I couldn’t. It was as if the wards that kept us away have returned. That would have to mean that The Entity has somehow regained its power enough to maintain that…but how? No Survivors have been Sacrificed tonight and the only ones we know to have died are Herman, Michael, Freddy, Julie and Joey. Could it be taking the energy from _their_ souls to stay alive longer? We’ve only been punished once and The Entity did that, we don’t even remember how bad it was before all this. It would turn on the cats its sets to chase the mice so easily.

Just thinking those words sent a chill up my spine. At the same time, it was a sobering reminder that we’re _all_ temporary and easily replaceable here…jeez. It reminds me of when Frank worked at that shitty convenience store.

I stopped and pushed those thoughts out of my mind, honing in on the sound of Kate’s screams and seeing what I feared just a few feet in front me.

Jefferey had basically stripped Kate naked, a single strap of her tank top was on her shoulder and her shorts were hanging off of her right leg. She fought hard and cried out with every thrust of Jefferey’s hips.

I hated seeing him do this to Survivors, it was always the girls too that he was so visceral with. If he caught a guy, he’d fuck them like pigs. With the girls however, he drew it out, took this horrid joy in hearing them cry and scream as he violated and brutalized them. Sick fucker, time for a little comeuppance.

I ran over and swung my knife out, stabbing right into his chest and getting a face full of overwhelmingly sweet-smelling puss! I backed away and threw my mask into the dirt, gasping and immediately coughing as I could hear Jefferey laughing and Kate sobbing.

What the hell was this shit?!! I felt his footsteps drawing nearer to my so I swung wildly with my knife, trying to land one shot to root me down so I could rip his disgusting body open!

I made another swing, my eyes watering so badly that they trickled down my cheeks and my wrist was caught mid-swipe. Jefferey laughed and quickly tugged me forward and raised my body up off the ground by that arm.

I struggled and kicked, trying to open my eyes enough so that I could try to kick his face, but I couldn’t see. It had already been hard to see what he’d done to Kate; I could still hear her sniveling somewhere nearby.

I raised my eyes and saw what hell had befallen his already fucked up face, he looked like a human jack-o-lantern, orange acid dripping out of his face. The gashes pulled out away from his eyes and mouth; he did this to himself…ugh!

“Sick fuck!” I yelled when he suddenly swung me up through the air and threw me down on the ground, knocking the wind out of me.

I rolled over onto my side and gasped, trying to get my breath back when I felt some dirt kick up at my chin as he kicked my knife away from me. This lukewarm liquid poured over my head and I sputtered, at first, I thought he was peeing on me, but it was one of his mixtures.

It was a rancid smelling concoction and it burned against my cheeks and eyes. The stench wafted up and shredded my throat as I tried to breathe through it.

He stomped on my back, this tiny crack in my chest causing more pain than I’ve ever felt before. My entire ribcage was howling in angry ripples when his knees slammed down on either side of my hips. I screamed as I realized what he was doing.

I started digging my fingers into his face holes, spraying some of that glowing garbage around and on us. It actually felt like I was just digging my fingers into pumpkin guts, his teeth, brain and mangled bones seemed to just float around inside his head.

He hardly reacted to me as he reached down between my legs and grabbed at the crotch of my leggings, ripping the fabric and snapping the elastic of my underwear; exposing me. I kept trying to fight when he starts laughing at me, caressing my inner thighs with his hand as he practically ignores me.

Just as he’s about to touch me again, out of the fog swings a chair leg with nails sticking out of it and buries itself in his head!

“HOLY FUCK!” I shouted and quickly started crawling away, dirt sticking to my serum covered fingers.

I bumped into legs and looked up to see (f/n) standing there, looking much worse for wear. Her dress was about mid-thigh and super poufy looking. All the tulle that made up that abomination, now shorter, stuck up like a tutu and some of the fabric had been wrapped around her forearms, stained with blood. I couldn’t tell if the blood was hers or not and I couldn’t see her face either.

She stepped around me and pushed Jefferey to fall onto his back, the chair leg still stuck in his cranium. A deep rumble above announced the storm had completely arrived here in the Survivor Forest, rain dumping down over us in buckets.

All the smoke in the air quickly dissipated but the relief of the world clearing up was hollow, at best. There was no smell to the rain, it was just cold. My heart ached as I am reminded, again…this place is just a replica of the world, nothing more.

As the smoke cleared, I could see all the Survivors laying around in unconscious stupors and I spotted Kate, curled up in a ball nearby. She was naked and I could see her hole bleeding a little from a tear towards her clit; I shuddered. I rushed over and pulled off my sweatshirt, tapping her shoulder and getting her to look up at me.

“Put this on,” I say and she quickly does, her eyes darting around her.

The other Survivors were starting to wake up now that the smoke was gone, she quickly pushed her head through it and tucked her legs up into it and curled up tight.

Laurie was one of the first ones to wake up completely and she sat up, rubbing her eyes before looking around. She was about to go check on everyone when she locked eyes with Kate, who quickly pushed her face down into her knees and covered her head with her arms.

Laurie stumbled to her feet and rushed over. “Oh my God, Kate!”

The smaller and clearly younger of the two started comforting Kate and I just stared, the fact that Laurie just seemed to _know_ what was wrong made my stomach turn. In the past, we never watched what Jefferey did once he caught the Survivors…we usually just turned away and listened to their screams.

If we were feeling particularly spiteful, we would make fun of the way some people would scream and cry in pain or for mercy. We laughed…we laughed at the horrible things he did to them, we never thought more of it. Pathetic little Survivors suffering as pathetic little Survivors do.

I felt dirty, like a traitor and so very out of place as others began to encircle Kate and Laurie, asking each other what to do or what happened. David knelt down beside Kate and let her squeeze his hand as Meg moved in with a small suture kit and some bandages.

Claudette, Nea and Jane all stood around Kate while Meg did what needed to be done. It was rather daunting; they were out in the open; exposed and yet they seemed to have a routine down already. Someone to heal, someone to comfort, someone to lookout and the one being looked out for.

When I saw them like this, standing on their side…I could see clearly how they were able to outsmart us a few times. It was both sobering and painful to realize, just how hard they tried to survive.

“You filthy, decrepit, humiliating embarrassment of a man.” I hear (f/n)’s voice, and turn to see her stalking around Jefferey like a regal panther; cornering its prey. Jefferey is trying to pull the chair leg out of his head, but it looked like he was having trouble getting his fingers around the wood.

The nails from the chair leg must be stuck in his frontal lobe, affecting his motor function. While he was able to put his arm and hand in the right place, he couldn’t seem to close his fingers and thumb onto his target.

“Bambi?” I hear and turn to Jane’s house.

Frank is being helped by Dwight out of the house…they must have been inside the whole time. I was about to consider why I wasn’t able to get inside when he’d been inside this whole time, just as Frank steps off the porch step, he seems to perk up right away.

“I see…” I mutter, Frank looking at me but I shake my head. “I’ll tell you later.” I don’t think we have time to go over how I think the barrier around Survivor residences being weak…but present.

“Where’s (f/n)? I heard her voice.” He says when Dwight points and we look back to see her kick Jefferey in the chest and knock him to lay on his back. The chair leg stuck almost straight up in the air, the nails starting to slide out of his head.

She walked over to his head and knelt down, her knees on either side of his face and her sitting on her ankles. She just glared down at him and once he realized where she’d moved to, he reached up towards her chest.

Just as he was about to touch her, she scoffed and his hands exploded into blood! A few screams and gasps of surprise raised up around us, I couldn’t move. I don’t think anyone could as we all just watched in the dead quiet as Jefferey started groaning and coughing, his stumps slightly spraying blood around. The blood had splattered all over (f/n)’s face and body, the dress looking dark brown and black in a few spots. I don’t think I can even remember what color it used to be. As my eyes tried to make sense of that, I saw these snake looking things floating around her and I gasped; it’s her hair!

She retained Wicked’s ability to control her hair like a weapon and had used it to destroy Jefferey’s hands. Her (h/c) locks shook blood and viscera off, the heavier chunks sort of flopping around on the ground. Her hair settled back into its lifeless form as she leaned forward and hovered her hands around his head. Her eyes were glaring but the color within them was…lifeless, like she wasn’t actually looking at him at all.

“Let’s see just how _deserving_ you are of what I’m about to do to you,” she says and grabs his face, him trying to grab at her; but just smearing blood on her hands and his face. I could see this look of rage growing in her eyes and her fingertips dug into his fat face a little as she started squeezing his head.

This short beat passed where I thought his head was the next thing to pop, then she let go and stood up. The look on her face was that of unmitigated disgust, she was looking at him like the waste of flesh he truly was…I just didn’t know there was an actual _look_ to describe it.

“Well…this will be even more generous considering every deplorable and vile thing that you’ve done.” She says when her hair comes to life again and snatches Jefferey up into the air by his limbs. He started screaming as she raised him up and this malevolent smile spread over (f/n)’s face. “This always was my favorite part of this movie.” she says to him then kisses at the air.

A fine red mist begins to spray up from each of his limbs grabbed by her hair and she was quickly drenched in it, closing her eyes and raising her chin into the air. She acted as if she was taking a warm shower normally, not in the blood of someone else.

The hair surrounding each limb slowly began to shrink in size, growing skinnier and skinnier. The orange nectar was completely diluted and overwhelmed by the blood and flesh that was being absolutely shredded from his body. Her hair acted as spiraling barbed wires on his body, pureeing him into that gore show of a shower we were seeing now.

The locks pulled away enough to reveal that a thin layer of muscle and veins was all that remained over his arm and leg bones. There were a few hanging bits of tissue that clung to the crevices that surrounded every joint, it was like he had moss inside him but…it was just his flesh. My stomach flipped when (f/n) walked over and lightly tapped one of his feet, the boney limb unable to move but Jefferey groaned at the tap.

She wiped some of the blood from around her mouth, leaving a strangely clean section of pale skin around her lips, the red from the rest of her face dripping down to fill the void she’d created. She still had that chilling smile on her face as she looked up at him, not seeming to be even close to finished with him yet.

“Alright…I’m bored being nice.” She says coldly and backs up, the locks still holding him, splitting away into four more serpent like beings.

The locks struck out at him and stabbed him in various places, spurting more of that bloody glowing mixture into the air. One of the locks strayed down and reared itself back before striking straight up and impaling Jefferey through his crotch.

This inhumane sound left his mouth, this feral shriek of agony unlike anything I’ve heard from him before. Part of me almost felt bad for him…almost but not nearly enough to step in at all. I don’t think it would have mattered anyways.

(h/c) locks began to slither out of his mouth and nose, before his eyes began to spurt blood and putrid nectar, then more (h/c) strands. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before as his screech became this choked, gagging sound. More hair began to slither out of his ears and belly, his stomach splitting open with a sparkling spray of the glowing liquid.

Her hair overtook his entire body, wrapping him in a (h/c) cocoon and muffling his shouts of gibberish. A single moment of that stifled yelling sat, we waited in that charged silence when her hair suddenly began it’s spiral of razer like strands all over him and shredding his body. Whatever was becoming of his body, the soup she was turning him into rained down over the area when a gunshot breaks that frozen silence.

I turn toward the direction the shot came from and I see a young woman, freckled face and looking like she hadn’t slept…ever! Full pink lips, round, frightened eyes, short and messy blond hair with black roots. White hooded vest, green skirt and a fucking pistol in her hand; taking aim at (f/n) this time!!

It was like a horror movie, everyone started screaming at her to stop and not to shoot her. Just as the shouts started, (f/n)’s hair suddenly shot towards the girl! The sentient lock slashed at the air, taking two amazingly aimed shots before swatting the gun out of her hand and into the air! It reared up, like a cobra about to strike when Frank and Dwight suddenly raced forward past me.

I hadn’t even registered that they had gone yet when Frank got his arms under (f/n)’s armpits and pulled her back. The strike from her hair nearly missed the girl as Dwight ran around her front and grabbed her legs, holding them together to keep her from kicking.

“GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!!” she screamed, her hair suddenly abandoning the girl, who frantically went for her gun and began to take aim at the boys.

Dwight pushed her legs down and managed to step up close to her, grabbing her face in his hands. His thumbs over her cheeks, fingers under her ears, her eyes focused squarely on him.

“Please, stop screaming! You need to listen to me; I don’t know what you saw in Jefferey…but I’m sorry you did. You already did it, you killed him…he’s dead now.” He says, quickly but in a hushed tone, her eyes wide and completely focused on him.

There’s this long silence, all we can hear is the wind and water has drenched everything around us, the downpour having lessened to a small sprinkle. We were all still wet though, but the rain did very little to wash the blood off of (f/n) at all.

Her hair slowly returns to its normal length, sentient behavior gone and then her eyes rolled back in her head. Her body went limp in Frank’s arms and he pulled her closer, squatting down and falling into a sitting position. After only a moment of her laying there, motionless…her eyes fluttered open and she seemed back to herself.

Thank goodness…whoever she just was…is _scary_.

(f/n)

“Um…I can explain.” I started, but Dwight shook his head.

“You don’t have to…” he says and Frank rubs my shoulder, making me look over to him.

“Your first real kill can be rather daunting…you can ask me any questions you may have.” He says, as if he’s talking about a game rather than murder.

I got into the smoke and the smell was awful, but I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that we’ve gone through up until this point when I heard Kate screaming. My whole body felt like fire and the only thing I could think about was…how badly I wanted _him_ to suffer. I wanted him to feel some semblance of all the pain he caused to everyone he’s come in contact with!!

I knew it wasn’t my right, technically what I did was wrong, it was violent and wicked…but it felt _good_.

Watching him struggle at my mercy and vainly trying to move his limbs that I’d already destroyed. It felt vindicating and powerful to slowly destroy his body. Ensuring that his mind was present for as much of it as possible to make him see how much it hurts when someone treats you like a toy. How it feels when someone just rips away at your flesh and bones with zero regard for your feelings or your pain. He deserved every single ounce of agony he received…and then some.

I shook my head, feeling horrible about what I was thinking and how I felt about it. Frank pulled me close to his chest, seeming ignorant of the blood that still coated my body. I peeked back over my shoulder to see Dwight looking at us sadly, seeing me drenched in blood was probably terrifying for him.

What terrified me…was how he was looking at me now. His eyes were wide, that same nervous and trepid look he had before we got to know each other. He was scared.

“It’s Ok, heat of the moment is different than right now. Just breathe, you’re alright now. He had it coming anyways.” He says and I push myself closer to him, feeling my whole body was starting to shake; the calm passed and now I was getting ravaged by the storm.

A clap of thunder from above made me raise my head up and I saw Laurie and Bill talking to a blond girl…new here, but I recognized her right away.

“Heather?” I said and she whipped her head to look at me.

“How do you know my name?!” she asked, stomping towards me but Laurie stopped her, looking down at me.

“You’ve gotta be kidding…her too?” she says, gesturing at Heather.

“Yeah, the video games and a few movies…Silent Hill, you’re technically Cheryl or Sharron…depending on the timeline…” I muttered and stopped when she tilted her head at me. “Um…yeah, it’s called Silent Hill. I kinda…killed Jefferey the way I’d seen in one of the movies…someone else talk.” I said quickly, feeling a little uncomfortable with everyone’s eyes on me right now.

“That’s (f/n), she comes from a place where some of our lives are movies for her people.” Ash says, coming over to the girl and placing his metal hand on her shoulder.

“What do you want us to call you?” Laurie asks her, pushing his hand off; not phasing him in the slightest.

“Cheryl…Cheryl Mason. Heather was an alias I used to have.” She cast an untrusting gaze my way and I bowed my head, feeling a little embarrassed again.

Just then…a gut churningly familiar alarm starts blaring into the air all around us and my eyes locked with Cheryl’s right away.

“Now fucking what?” David mutters somewhere behind me and Frank lets me go as I rush to get up.

“The darkness is coming!!” I yelled and looked out into the distance, a massive structure building itself up from the tree line in the distance. I turned to Cheryl as she cocked the gun and glanced back at me. “Try not to miss this time,”

“In my experience, it’s better to run anyways. Nothing I kill stays dead.” She says and everyone starts to follow us, running along when I skid to a halt.

“Wait, Sally’s still alive! I took her inside!” I turned and ran back when the entire forest started to peel away and decay. Frank grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop, pushing me to follow the others.

“Go, I’ll get her. Go now, find a safe place to hide!!” he shouts as he runs off and I reluctantly turn to follow the others, grabbing Dwight’s hand as we all grouped together and ran.

As we went, I could only wonder where Danny had gone to and why he’d just disappeared. I also felt this ugly sensation inside my body, what I’d let him do to me…had that been for nothing?


	14. Overwhelmed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How much can you take before it's too much?

My feet were aching with every step, the blood from killing Jefferey still covering my entire body. It had since dried and I felt like my skin was made from paper, little pieces peeling off my body as we went. My entire body felt like a charged battery and my body was tingling with energy that had nowhere to go.

I wasn’t even sure of how long we’d been running for; everything was racing by me so fast and the air was like pepper. Just as I took another step, my ankle rolled hard and I fell to my right, knocking into David who skidded to a halt to catch me.

“Hold it, hold it!” He called out and the group stopped all around us. “I think (f/n) needs a minute, first time you’ve actually had to haul ass since being here? Ha-ha.” He joked, patting my shoulder as I politely nodded, feigning agreement.

He wasn’t wrong…but he wasn’t right either. I wanted nothing more than to just crumple into a hole and die there. My body was heavy with exhaustion and I felt sticky inside and out. My hips were aching from Danny having his way with me, the idea making me uncomfortable…and slightly excited which just made me feel disgusting. I could still feel his heat inside my body, slightly leaking out of me and down my thigh with every move I made. The blood in my hair left it matted and thick feeling, like I got soda in it and let it dry. The dress was starting to feel heavy and grotesquely hot; I could feel sweat beading under my bust and making me even more uncomfortable.

“Hang in there (f/n), we typically have more time to get used to so much running…I’m sorry that’s not the case for you or the other newcomers.” Claudette says softly before looking over at Yui and Cheryl.

“I’m used to running for my life, nothing new.” Cheryl says, this somber tone in her voice.

“I’m doing fine, this is better than sprints at the gym.” Yui says then smiles at Dwight. “Someone owes me a new bike though.”

“I didn’t think you’d actually do anything like that, it was like something I’d see in an action movie.” He says, trying to push past his nerves to speak to her.

I felt something tickle my arm and I looked down to see that my hair had started coming to life again, taking aim at Yui. I immediately stamped down my upset and my hair settled back into the lifeless thing it was supposed to be.

What was I thinking about just now?!! Was I thinking about hurting Yui because she made Dwight smile?! My chest started to become tight and it seemed like all eyes were on me, accept no one was looking at me at all.

“I think the only one who actually came here prepared for it was Meg, speedy bi-OW!” David is cut off by a slap upside his head and a snicker by the aforementioned Meg.

“Still jealous as ever,” she teases and goes over to Zarina, rubbing her back. “Here, stand up straight and put your hands behind your head, shoulders back. It’ll open up your chest and you won’t cramp up.” She directs Zarina through the movement and she nods her thanks, still breathing harder but clearer.

My eyes return to Dwight who I caught looking at me with this sadness in his eyes, like he was looking at a ghost. The second our eyes met, they widened with fright and he turned his gaze to the ground. That reaction caused a sharp and painful gasp to come from me as I turned my back to him just then, the tightness of my chest becoming even worse!

It felt like my ribs were trying to implode on themselves, but my frantic heart was in the way, receiving blunt boney stabs from every direction. The air was still cold, but it felt thinner with each breath when Claudette’s startled voice adds more fuel to that fire.

“Hold it, you guys…” she seems to do a speedy count, turning slowly till she’s done two 360’s. “We’re missing a few people! Feng, Kate, Jane and Susie are all missing!”

“Didn’t Susie go back with Frank?” I asked but Laurie shook her head sadly.

“No, she was with Kate. Everything fell apart when Jefferey showed up, he spread the Tonic around and we all just dropped like flies. Poor Kate got brutalized by that bastard, frankly it was barbaric to watch but I’m glad you killed him.” She says, this icy resolve in her eyes and I nodded.

I envied Laurie, not just because of her intense wisdom, but her fierce pride to convince you of it with a look. Her brow was furrowed in deep thought, I could tell she was trying to make a plan for everyone here. Meanwhile, I was a helpful distraction to every challenge we met by spreading my legs and playing nice.

The sound of rushing feet drawing close made us all turn and I let out this heavy breath to see Frank rushing over to us, Sally in his arms and still awake and holding onto him around his shoulders. “Frank!” I shouted and rushed over to meet him.

His face was hidden by the smiley face mask, but that mask didn’t send any fear or discomfort through me like it did the first time we met. I could hear the smile in his voice anyways.

“Hey, told you I’d get her back.” He says, turning his head to look around at us and I could see that his shoulders set back, seeing the discontent in all of us. “What’s happened?”

“We’re missing people, I think two of them were left behind in all the commotion, Feng and Jane. Susie was helping Kate keep up with us so I think that they may have gotten lost.” Bill answers, eyes scanning the trees; looking for any sign of them catching up.

Frank nods when he looks around again and calls out to Dwight. “There you are, where’s the other half of my welcome wagon?” he says and Dwight’s face lights up pink before turning away from us.

I looked down at the ground behind Frank; Dwight’s reaction to Frank just drove home how much damage I’d done by losing control with Jefferey. He wouldn’t meet my eyes anymore and seemed to make a conscious effort to be distant from me.

“Hey, ah…what’s your name?” Frank asks and I hear Yui again.

“Yui Kimura, Kim is fine-” she starts but he interrupts her.

“Yui, come and take Sally from me? She’s been through hell so be gentle with her, yeah?” he says and she scoffs before coming over and easily taking the thin framed woman from his arms.

“I’ll have a look at her, see if there’s anything I can do to help.” Claudette adds and Frank’s hand on my shoulder makes me look up at him, his face is still turned towards them.

“Thanks, I’ll be right back.” He says and looks down at me, pointing behind me and I turn to start walking into the trees.

I can hear the group beginning to retrace their steps and discussing where we’d lost track of Susie and Kate. Feng and Jane are resourceful and smart; they’ll find a safe place till we can go looking for them.

I couldn’t help but glance over towards Dwight and see that he was continuing to drift away from the group, biting his thumbnail nervously as he paced. My steps halted and my temper flared as Yui went over and clapped him on the shoulder hard, startling his glasses to the tip of his nose. She pointed over at Sally and said something, likely asking about her and he smiled as he replied.

I knew Frank had followed my eyes and was watching them too, thankful that he couldn’t see how my eyes were watering. It was like how he’d behaved once we returned to camp after that first trial. The difference now is that he was far more receptive to a different total stranger approaching him and I couldn’t help the jealousy boiling in my blood.

I chastised myself, knowing full well that it wasn’t a big deal that they were talking. I should be happy that he’s not as reclusive as he was before, but I can’t find that joy…all I feel is anger and resentment.

I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised, he’s afraid of me now, I mean…he should be after what I did to Jefferey. That creep may have had it coming, if not from me, then from someone else. It was the fact that I was smiling and laughing the whole time like I was a kid playing with a new toy, almost relishing in the warm blood and nectar that covered my body.

My head began to fill with that warmth again, the same feeling I’d had when I was torturing Jefferey. I felt sick as I thought it but the thoughts persisted; it felt _good_ to watch him reach up towards me. So damn infatuated with my body and all he wanted to do to it, the sick and twisted things I saw dancing around in front of my eyes as his memories flooded my head.

All the birds he’d killed, the animals, the only time he’d felt a sense of panic was when he saw his father holding his box where he’d stored his ‘trophies’. Then he’d taken up The Clown persona…his mind becoming more and more warped with all the booze, smoking and drugs. His body becoming engorged with it and only adding to that unsettling image he was painting onto his face every day.

Then it happened…a kid got separated from their family and in one easy move, the screams were drowned out by the fireworks display. All the shows and rides, the laughter and shrieks of joy completely hid the horrid things that he did to that poor kid…and countless others. Age, gender, creed, abled or not…people were just another thing he could play with.

Every deplorable thing that he’d done to all those people, filling my mind in that one moment had made it almost orgasmic when I cut his filthy fucking hands off. The horror that flickered through his eyes as the blood spurted from his wrists, mixing with the glowing nectar.

Just as fast my mind became inundated with the memory of him attacking me for the first time, we’d lost Jane then too. The awful things that had been done to me, sending more uncomfortable chills up my body, the things that the other Killers did to him and when he brutalized Rin in his caravan. Her limbs pinned to every wall, struggling to help their master as he freely toyed with her frail body, only for it to recover and for him to continue playing with her. What I’d done was far gentler than what I wanted to-

“STOP IT!” I shrieked, covering my ears and clawing my nails into the sides of my head when I noticed that everyone’s eyes were on me.

I glanced at Frank, who quickly removed his mask, revealing his concerned expression. I looked down at myself, body shaking and covered in blood, clad in a dress forced on me by Herman and my hips were still aching from his and Danny’s turns on me. My body hadn’t been mine to control since I got here, it had been a tool used over and over again.

Raising my eyes, my gaze went straight to Dwight, once again seeing that fear in him. He looked absolutely horrified right now and that just sent me over the edge, my vision becoming hazy and heat dripping down my cheeks. “I’m sorry…” I whimpered, crossing my arms and turning away just as he took a step towards me. I ran into the trees and I heard Frank say something behind me before following.

It felt like I couldn’t breathe, despite me hyperventilating loudly as I ran. I stumbled over roots and sharp brambles as I tried to keep running. I needed to get away from the group, part of me just felt like there wasn’t enough air with everyone together like that.

My head started filling with flashing lights and I clipped a tree with my shoulder, the bark ripping through the fabric on my shoulder and scraping into my skin. Dwight’s face replaying in my mind, cycling between that scared expression and his lilted gaze tracing over my body. I felt his warm fingers sliding over my skin and running through my hair, as soon as he moved to do something new, his movements would stutter. The incredible look of bliss and the dreamy haze that filled his eyes as he hit the pique…was suddenly shattered with the snap shots I’d seen of him having been beaten and butchered alive in Bubba’s kitchen. It felt like I was being marred by the chainsaw in that cornfield again, seeing all the blood pooled around him and dried into the same color I was still covered in. I was no different than the monsters that he’s been running from for who knows how long, his nightmare is now living in someone he loves…or _loved?!_

I got to a small clearing and startled a murder into the air, their shrill cries making me skid to a halt and made me scream again. A few black feathers fluttered down to earth around me and I felt the panic and tears overflowing down my cheeks, slithering down my neck and making my throat itchy. I tried to turn around and run in another direction only to turn and find Frank bursting from the bushes and grabbing my shoulders, making me scream and struggle on instinct.

“Whoa, whoa! Bambi!! Hey!” He shouts as my struggles soothe and he pulls me close. He pressed my forehead against his; looking into his dual-colored eyes. “It’s me…try to breathe now. What’s going on Bambi?”

“I don’t know…I don’t…” I started and stepped out of his grasp carefully as I looked hard at my hands, still almost black. “This isn’t me…none of this is me.”

“What do you mean? There’s nothing wrong with you.” He says, rubbing my cheek with his hand and wiping roughly at my tears with his thumb.

“There’s a lot wrong with me Frank, I’m covered in blood…I killed him…I killed someone. I butchered Jefferey…but-” I stuttered and swallowed hard, hoping that if I spoke the words out loud their weight would leave my head. “It felt good…”

“Yeah?” he asks, egging me on.

“It felt good…to have him at my mercy, everything that he’d done to me just flooding my brain at once. The things he did to Kate…all the things he’d done before coming here and to Rin, what you guys did to him…I saw everything.” I rushed out as the images of tear-streaked faces and begging for death returned to ravage my mind again.

“You could see all of that?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“Every single moment played out in my mind, I watched everything he saw and felt what he felt in a matter of seconds and I felt like a mixing bowl of all those feelings. And the kids…” I started, seeing those little cherub faces and my heart pinched terribly; squeezing more tears out of my eyes. “There were kids, Frank! Little kids, all screaming and crying for their mommies and begging to die…shrieking till their throats bled…I can still hear it…” I covered my ears, hoping to muffle the sound. No matter how hard I dug my palms into the sides of my head, their little voices echoed endlessly.

Frank’s hands over mine made me look up at him, still hearing all that hell in my head while he looked at me sadly. I could see him processing everything going on in my head, see me struggling to keep my head from popping off my neck and rolling away.

“Listen Bambi, he had that coming for a long time, if it didn’t come from you, it would have come from someone else. You gave him what he deserved; you didn’t take anything from the world by doing that. Shit, you did the whole world a huge service. It was awesome, you literally made him into a milkshake.” He praised, laughing a little only for his smile to drop when he saw me wincing.

“But I don’t want to be proud of it. I’m not the kind of person to do this sort of thing, I’m not a fighter like David or a competitor like Feng…I’m nothing like everyone here. I don’t know how they can do it, I’m not brave or strong or smart…I’m a scared, unremarkable, lecherous slut who’s only good for spreading my legs to buy mercy.” I gasped and Frank pulled me to come into his arms but I shook him off, this hurt and confused expression entering his eyes.

“Bambi…you’re spiraling, you need to calm down. Your first kill is always the hardest, you’ve got to ground yourself though.” He said, his hands outstretched towards me as I kept digging my nails into the sides of my head.

“I can’t! I can’t push through all the screaming and memories that I’ve taken from Jefferey and the laughter…the bliss and joy he got from doing what he did-AHHH!” I screamed and heard wood crackle loudly behind me, a tree falling and I felt the tension against the back of my neck before I turned to confirm it. My hair had come to life again and lashed out at a tree, ripping it apart and tearing it down. “How does someone like that…find happiness from destroying other people when I can’t even find happiness by doing the bare minimum to having a damn life!!?!” I yelled, my hair going limp as I crumpled to the ground and curled my legs up till my knees touched my chin.

“Bambi-” he says again but I can’t stop myself.

“I was so fucking scared after I got out of the hospital, wondering if Jack was going to come back and finish the job. I got through my therapy so fast, they were almost worried that I was aiming to enact revenge. When I gave my statements, they could see the little coward I truly am and I was left to flounder around in the aftermath.” I said and he grabbed me by my shoulders, tugging me hard against his chest and holding me there tight enough that I let out a groan.

“(f/n) stop it!” he said and didn’t let up the squeeze until I had to let all the breath out of my body, even then he didn’t let me go, just lessened the grip. My heart was pounding and I could feel that his was too…yet the sound of it broke through the din inside me. I could only focus on the speedy rhythm and I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close and listening to it.

The tornado of hell in my head began to fade, to the point I could remember what happened but the screaming was gone. It felt like the chokehold in my head was weakening now that his arms were around me.

“There’s a lot to unpack here, seeing you in action makes us forget that you’re not a veteran of this place. You’re still so new, put through all the same hell that we’ve seen in rapid succession…like there’s no end or peace in sight and then some.” He pulls his head back a little and I lift mine to look at his face, the fear in his eyes surprising me as he lightly brushed my (h/c) bangs away from my eyes. “You are the strongest, most beautiful person I’ve ever met and it’s killing me inside to see you hurting so badly right now. I want to take every little thing that makes you or Dwight scared and keep it as far away from you as possible. If you need to scream or cry, hell you can hit me if you need to…I just want you to know you’re not facing this alone. We are all with you.”

I felt the tears continue seeping down my cheeks in warm ribbons that turned cold. “What about Dwight?”

“He’s probably just in shock, have you actually talked to him yet?” I shook my head. “Ok, that’s what we need to do…” he then snickers a little and pats my head. “And don’t worry so much about Yui, she’s gay.” He says and I just pushed him back a little, his arms still holding onto me so I didn’t get far.

“What?! How do you know that?? Who said anything about Yui!?” I rushed, embarrassment filling my face.

“You either think I’m stupid or blind, I saw how you were looking at her when she talked to him. That’s jealousy if I’ve ever seen it, also…how could you _not_ see the way she was checking Nea out? Jake should be the one watching his back, not you.” He says easily, as if he were just gossiping to me about it.

I giggled and he chuckles along with me, rubbing at my cheek again; making the skin under my eye sting.

“How do you do that?” I ask and he just hums at me. “How are you always able to make me smile like that? I felt like I was losing my mind and one of my boys…and you swoop in for me.” I smiled at him when the thought occurred to me, I could just find out.

I guess that was painted on my face because he immediately stepped away from me. “Do you really think that’s such a good idea to go prodding around in my noggin when you’re still coming down from the last time you did that to a Killer?”

I looked back up at him and hardened my jaw, stepping close again and offering my hand; making him jerk back a little. He looked at me like I was offering him poison, not my hand. “You want me to know that you’re here with me…well I’m here for you too.” I said and he smiles sadly; got him.

“You know that running away from your problems by trying to help someone else with theirs isn’t healthy, right?” he asks and I fired right back.

“What relationships here are?” That got me a middle finger, only making me smile again.

“Smartass…” he looks down at my hand and takes a long, deep breath before stepping forward, bumping my hand out of the way and pulling me close by my hips. “Just know…I am not going to talk about this with you or anyone afterwards. Not here…not tonight.” He says firmly.

I nod and push myself up onto my tiptoes, pressing my forehead against his and focusing on that contact between us; skin to skin. It felt like that contact created a light and through that light I could feel this weightlessness burst through my veins as everything he had was poured into my already overflowing brain.

Frank had been born in a dirty halfway house, to a woman so strung out that she only knew she gave birth after she woke up! Someone else in the house had the good sense to call for help. She was taken to the hospital where she refused to feed him for the first time, then asked if she could go home.

The police came in to ask her some questions, but she’d already grabbed Frank and ran off. His cries were always met with shouting, something being broken by his father-or whoever the men were that joined his mother that night.

My heart twisted as I watched him try to go to her for comfort when her boyfriends would beat him, being shoved away, ignored entirely or beaten again for being loud. After an indiscriminate number of failed attempts at finding affection in his house…he stopped trying. He’d barely started the first grade and only found comfort at school, the teacher’s kind to him in a way he never knew at home. He’d been picked up from school by the police, his mother in the car as well.

She warned him to keep his mouth shut and let her do all the talking, but it was already too late. The bruises, the drugs found at home and his mothers warrants sealed his fate. She wasn’t even angry about him being taken away, she was angry because his father owed her child support and she blamed that for his treatment.

Frank was deposited into his first foster home that night…a house filled with 7 other kids, all from different families. The woman who looked over them was worn out and tired all the time, but she still tried to connect with him, offering story time to make him feel more comfortable. It was only a rouse, he found himself watching as strangers would regularly come in…buying things from her in little plastic bags that made him think of home. One day, he was introduced to this old bastard who looked at him with this glassy-eyed stare that made his skin crawl. He promised that Frank would have his own room and all the toys he could ever want…Frank had never felt such a sense of panic in his body before.

This was the kind of person his teachers would warn about during assemblies, the kind they said would be out on the streets and try to trick you. This person, was in his house and the woman looking after him was selling him off to this person.

Frank spit in his face and ran upstairs, slamming his door and jamming a chair under the door to keep everyone out. The police picked him up in the morning and he was taken to his next home…he tried to tell them about ‘the stranger’ and the drugs but no one listened to him, no one looked at him, no one cared.

It was that constant revolving door of being ignored, not trusted, discarded and abused…he had a few houses where the people were genuinely nice and wanted to help him recover. He’d seen that before, didn’t trust it, didn’t trust them and acted out until the family had no choice but to send him back. He felt bad, seeing the families cry as they sent him away again…he’d messed up, again.

He had no pleasure in anything, felt nothing besides this emptiness…then he got to Ormond. Another loser parent who only took him in for the money…but then he met a girl. She was picking up a list of things for her parents and toting around her little brother, Julie. He spotted her drawing; it was of him standing in line to get something. He didn’t even realize what he was doing when he approached her.

He’d felt a sort of…warmth in his chest when he met her, it was unlike anything he’d felt before. She looked at him, smiled and they talked; she liked that he was from out of town. They hit it off and Frank went home, ignoring Clive screaming at the T.V. in his drunken stupor; it didn’t matter to Frank at all. He’d just made a friend!

Julie introduced him to her best friend, Susie who looked at Frank like he was a troublesome older brother. Susie’s boyfriend, Joey accepted Frank with open arms; literally he just walked up and hugged him like a brother.

He remembered his first kiss with Julie, she’d wanted to do more but he wasn’t sure what to do with her. He’d had sex before; it was one of the only things he could do to feel something but…she was different. He wanted to be careful with her, keep her close and actually focus on making her feel good instead of getting what he needed and being done with her.

Their relationship was explicit, even after it ended formally; the four of them remained close and tested their limits…all leading up to The Legion and I felt the warmth on my cheeks continue to flow.

Frank had never been so happy in his life, this happiness he felt was more important to him than anything else. On nights when none of them could go home, they’d huddle close together at the resort and make a fire; sleeping in a pile like puppies. He’d always be the last one to sleep, just basking in the presence of his friends.

He’d listen to Joey snore like a dragon, Susie hum softly and Julie’s slight hiccups as something would make her cry in her sleep. He’d wrap his arm around her and pull her in closer to the group, making her smile and stopping the tears. They were all in so much pain…but being together made it so much easier to forget about it…even for a little while.

Then…that night…they broke into the store…he heard Julie scream. He saw the catalyst of all his happiness in danger…he flashed back to the countless crimes he’d seen in every house he’d ever lived in. One snap to either side and she was gone…he saw red, stabbed him and set her free.

That sealed it, their bond was made in that man’s blood and they’d done what they’d always talked about. It was up on the mountain where they’d been beckoned by The Entity, drawn into the icy fog and praised for their frantic bloodlust and curiosity.

Evan took to teaching them the ways of the Fog and how to do well for The Entity, at first, they fought against it but after their first punishment they realized the way this world works.

Then they were all beckoned together…the entire Killer roster was called, into my house and told to attack me and bring me here.

It was strange, watching myself from Frank’s perspective at that time; seeing how vivid his whole view of me had been. He saw vigor in my steps, my willingness to do what I had to so I could gain the upper hand. He had already thought I was cute to start, then when I took Julie’s stab like a champ, sliced her belly, body checked Joey and cut Susie’s leg; he saw the same feral nature he’d seen in them.

It was on the stairs when I’d unmasked him, he’d felt that little spark in his chest; he’d been beaten. He’d been outmatched and had no cards left to play…it was a strange position for him to be in as well…but he liked it.

With a fast, white flash…everything that I already knew hit the epicenter of my brain and my head snapped back as if I’d been shot. I gasped and looked up at him, seeing the hardness in his eyes as he looked at me.

“Frank…” I started but he shushed me.

“Ah-ah, I said I didn’t want to talk about it, remember?” he says and smiles again, rubbing my shoulder. “It’s still a lot though, are you alright?”

“I think so…I’d ask you the same…” I started and he laughed, making me laugh too. “Why are we laughing? This is awful, everything is awful!” I said, still laughing a little and he smiled a little wider.

“Of course it is, everything is absolute shit…but that doesn’t mean we have to deal with it. Our entire world is what we make it, I told Julie something like that once. I said-LOOK OUT!” Frank suddenly grabs my arms hard and spins us around.

The man with the deformed face from before had rushed out of the woods, a glowing syringe in his hand and ready to stab me! Frank had spun us around and took the needle into his back and in a blink, that man was gone again and Frank lost his grip on me as he fell to his knees.

“NOOO!” I shrieked and knelt beside him, him panting and looking over his shoulder.

“What the hell is that?!! Get it off me!” he yells reaching back to pull it off, but he can’t reach it.

“Hang on, hang on! Stop moving!!” I yelled, using my hands to keep his wild swipes from hitting it. “I’ve seen that before! Jefferey had one of those in his back, I saw it…it’s the same stuff from the flowers.”

“What? Son of a…fucking bitch. Ok, well this sucks and I can’t remember the stuff Claudette told us before. You were still in Wicked Wonderland; I’ll tell you about it later though.” He gets to his feet and helps me to stand up as well. “Let’s go ask them how to get this thing off me,”

He drapes his arm around my shoulder and holds me near as we start walking back towards where we’d left the others, his eyes always watching the trees in case that guy appears again.

Once we got back to the others, the group all looked at us; hopeful looks on their faces. I made eye contact with Claudette and waved her over. “Claudette, can you come over here and have a look at this?”

She came over, ready to check me but I pointed at Frank who turned his back and you would have thought he’d pointed a gun at her. Her dark complexion went this desaturated hue and she covered her mouth, stepping back. “Dwight! Dwight come here, Jake you too!”

The two boys came over, the others all sort of joining around us and watching. The hopeful looks on their faces now replaced with concern. Jake came over and looked at it, his brow furrowing at he looked at Franks back. Dwight came over and clearly stepped around the outside of the group to avoid me, reminding me how he was horrified of me at this moment. I shook myself out of that, I’ll talk to him later; right now, Frank is the priority.

“What is it?” Frank asks, as if he were talking about a zit and not a glowing syringe of mystery medicine.

“It’s a timed syringe,” Jake says answering him. “It’s set to go off at a certain time by whoever loaded it-”

“Well, no shit, I assume that’s what a timed anything is.” Frank quips and Claudette touches his shoulder, careful not to touch the needle.

Getting a closer look, I could see a metal ring around the base and pressed against Frank’s back. That ring was affixed with a small gear that was slowly ticking around and the thick glass that made the syringe was also topped with an old metal pusher.

“It looks to be filled with Putrid Serum; it’s been a long time since we’ve seen one of these.” Dwight says lowly and Claudette points at the gear shape.

“Yeah, it’s even got the same fail-safe. If we try to take it off of you, it’s going to inject you. If we try to break it, unless we get it with one swing, it’ll inject you.” Claudette pulls her hands away and starts biting her index fingernail. “Do you think it’s-?” Jake shushes her.

“I don’t even wanna hear his name again, if he is then I’ll kill him myself.” Jake says; visibly enraged.

“That’s not Vigo, that’s Talbot Grimes.” A smooth voice says from the shadows and out walks this absolute Adonis of a man! Jaw chiseled by Gods, golden hair, piercing blue eyes and a very crisp looking suit wearing man walks out of the trees like a Greek God. He leisurely strides over to us like he’s approaching a business meeting, not a dirty group of strangers in the woods. “Name’s Felix Richter, does anyone here know anyone by that name? Richter?” He certainly wastes no time with introductions.

“Ask Dwight, he’s been here longer than anyone else.” Meg says getting an elbow from Claudette. “Ow, what?”

Dwight looks down, putting thought into it before sadly shaking his head. “I’m sure I have but once people…are gone…their memories begin to fade from this place. I’m sorry.” He says, sounding rather downtrodden by his own words.

Felix lowered his eyes before he raised his head again and I could see his jaw become tense. “Ok, is this everyone?” he asks, placing his hands on his hips with all the confidence in the damn world!

“Most of us.” Claudette answers. “Where did you come from?”

“Where are all the new people coming from?” Laurie mutters to Bill, who just shrugs before stepping up and patting Felix’s shoulder.

“I have no clue, but I used to be this handsome. Like looking into a mirror,” he says and Felix smiles shyly, laughing and heartily shaking Bill’s other hand.

“I’m honored sir, thank you.” Felix and Bill’s smiles are lowered when Frank clears his throat.

“Excuse me, can you two stroke each other off later? There’s a literal needle with drugs in it on my back. Since it sounds like we can’t get it off, how bad are the side effects?” Frank asks but no one says anything.

The heaviness in the air is starting to choke me when Frank yells, startling me. “What happens when the timer runs out?!”

Claudette clears her throat. “The serum in that vial is going to mutate you somehow, severely mutate you. We don’t know what specifically it’s going to do to you. The doses are always different and the mutations are random. Evan wasn’t terribly affected by it…” she muses when Dwight speaks up.

“Remember how badly it changed Anna? Her mask wasn’t even made of rabbit but she grew fur…and her eyes…” he shuddered and Claudette nodded, agreeing with a grimace.

“Vigo did this sort of thing to a few Killers a long time ago, so we just assumed it was him. I don’t know how this Talbot Grimes already knows about it enough to use it like this.” She casts an unsure glance at Felix. “I also don’t know how you already know about this sort of thing,”

“I understand your trepidation, if I could let things go…I wouldn’t be here.” He says, putting his hands on his hips and wiping his forehead.

I was about to ask what he means by that, Cheryl’s voice made us all turn back. “Hey, we gotta get going!!”

The Darkness is starting to draw near us again and David quickly goes over to Sally, lifting her up and her letting out a little yelp of surprise as she holds onto his shoulders. “Oh my!”

He smiles at her and directs us to follow with a toss of his head. “Come on, let’s go!!”

“I don’t suppose there are any churches around here?” Cheryl asks and Nea drops an F-bomb as we all resume running, Felix joining along behind us. “Well, is there?”

“Yeah, we just hope that it didn’t disappear when (f/n) killed the guy who called it his home.” Jake answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that the updates take so long, I have to prioritize covering my bills each month. If you'd like to help support me and ensure that these chapters get posted sooner, I'd really appreciate if you check out my patreon :3  
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